Inevitable
by Sassytore
Summary: Elena is falling for the wrong Salvatore, but still dating Stefan. Elena convinces Stefan to throw a slumber party, and Damon joins in on the fun. What happens when a seemingly harmless Truth or Dare game turns awry? s4 fic. AU where the sire bond never exists. Warning: contains mature themes.
1. Truth or Damon

Elena's mom once told her that "if we could decide who we love it would be much simpler, but much less magical." She had tried to uncover the exact moment she fell in love with the wrong brother, but she never did find that specific point on a timeline.

Maybe that was because her falling in love with him felt so natural that she didn't even notice it happening until it happened.

When she first met him, she inappropriately found him attractive. Then, she got to know him, and hated him with a burning passion. But that didn't mute the fact that they had something, an understanding, an unspoken connection. After years of battling with her feelings, she was finally put into an inevitable position that would prove to alter the course of her life.

It was a Friday night at the Salvatore boarding house. After a week of begging her current boyfriend, Stefan, to let all her friends come over for a sleepover, she finally won him over with cheeky smiles, puppy dog eyes, and kisses.

The evening started out innocent with the influx of her closest friends. First, came Caroline, determined to be there fashionably early, meaning an hour in advanced. Next came Matt, arms loaded with boxes of booze that he "borrowed" from the Grill. Finally, Tyler, Bonnie and Jeremy arrived together, joking about Jeremy's awful driving skills.

The first activity of the evening included getting totally hammered and dancing obnoxiously to loud music. Stefan and Elena danced closely together, clinging on each other as the music carried them around the room.

"Oi! You two! Stop slow dancing!" Matt yelled at them as loud as he could, "This is _dance_ music!" He jumped up and down to the beat making him look like a chipmunk that had too much coffee. At the sight, everyone burst into a drunken laughter that almost drowned out the music. That's when the music suddenly stopped. Confused, Elena looked around to see what had happened. Her eyes draped the room and then finally traveled up the staircase to find the conspirator behind the crime.

There he was, leaning against the wooden rail, black shirt unbuttoned, abs visible and a small line of hair trailing down from his belly button to the top of his jeans. The remote that stopped the music was visible in his hands and his mouth was curved into an annoyed line. His appearance was very intriguing to Elena, as it always had been. She'd be lying if she said that she hadn't let her eyes wander a couple times.

"Buzzkill," Elena said, looking him from toe to head, and when she reached those beautiful blue eyes, she couldn't look away. There was something about his coloring-pale skin, electric blue eyes, raven black hair-that produced a feeling that she couldn't describe.

"I'm sorry, Elena, but some people inhabiting this house are older, more mature, and more attractive than all of you and those people don't want the house to be deafening with teenagers," Damon responded with a sarcastic smile.

"What made you such a Debby downer?" Elena said, pulling away from Stefan and drunkenly stumbling to the landing of the stairs. Her friends all giggled in the background as Elena teased Damon, but Stefan didn't find the sight as amusing.

"I guess after 164 years of living, I've become a curmudgeon." Damon responded, "Keep it down, okay? If you are gonna have fun without me, I'd rather not hear it."

"Ooooooh, so thaaaaat's it!" Elena giggled and clung to the rail, "You're sad because you're feeling left out!"

"No, that's not it, I really couldn't care less about what you and your group of weirdos are doing." Damon said defensively. Maybe it was the alcohol, or something else, but at that last sentence Elena felt a shot of pain reach her heart. She wanted Damon to care about her, she needed Damon to care about her.

"Damon," Elena said with sudden seriousness, "Why don't you join us?"

"What?" Stefan questioned behind Elena.

"Yeah, what?" Caroline also questioned. Elena rolled her eyes and glared at the two of them before returning her attention to Damon. Damon could tell by looking at Stefan that his baby brother was jealous and feeling a little territorial, so naturally he decided to see how far he could push the boundaries.

"No, Elena," Damon declined, meeting her eyes and giving a small smile, "I wouldn't want to intrude. Obviously, I'm not welcome here."

Elena perked up at his response and furrowed her brow. She didn't know how he did it, but him rejecting her invitation made her want him there even more than before.

"Damon, please," Elena begged, reaching out her hand, "I want you here." Damon looked down at the girl whom he'd fallen in love with abegging him to stay right in front of her boyfriend and he felt a strange sense of hope. He couldn't resist her plea. All he could do was nod, completely infatuated by her and slump down the stairs. She grabbed his hand when he reached the landing and led him back to the group.

She didn't know what was worse, the look of shock on her friends face, the look of jealousy on Stefan's face, or the warmth between her and Damon's hands that gave those looks validity.

She quickly released his grasp and fell back into Stefan's arms. When she did so, she felt something that she wished she didn't feel, emptiness.

"Well, turn it up, Mr. Salvatore!" Elena shouted playfully, winking at Damon who restarted the music.

* * *

As the evening progressed, things began to calm down as people started to get tired. They stopped dancing and now sat in a circle. Matt sitting next to Bonnie who had her head resting on Jeremy's shoulder. Tyler and Caroline were next to them, hands interlocked, leaving Elena to be in between Stefan and Damon. Stefan kept trying to put his arm around Elena, or at least rest his hand on her knee, but Elena felt almost dirty showing such affection in front of Damon, so she pushed him off. They all sat quietly, trapped in their own thoughts when Caroline finally pulled them from the silence.

"I've got an idea!" Caroline beamed, "Let's play Truth or Dare!"

"Why not?" Elena sighed, straightening up and looking at the faces of all her friends, "Who should ask who first?"

"I'll ask first!" Matt volunteered. He looked at each person with eyes that suggested wickedness. People squirmed under his stare, all except for Stefan and Damon who felt no fear about what Matt could do to them, "Caroline." He finally resolved.

"Alright, bring it on," Caroline laughed, "Dare!"

"I dare you..." Matt began, pausing to think of the best possible dare, "I dare you to strip off with..." He paused, thinking again, "Damon."

Damon grinned largely and nodded, standing up. "You're so going down." Damon joked. Caroline looked at him with unamused eyes.

"Fine, let's do this," She said begrudgingly, "But first I think we should establish some ground rules."

"Fair enough, as the original dare-er I will lay those down. Rule #1, there are no rules. Now strip." Matt laughed loudly and begin playing _Feel so Close _by Calvin Harris. As the first beat boomed through the house, Elena flashed back to her trip with Damon to Whittmore College. This was the song that they dirty danced to. Damon also remembered this and made eye contact with Elena. She blushed violently as she stared into his eyes and he began stripping.

Slowly, he began removing his shirt and started moving his hips in rhythmic circles to the sound of the music. He kept his eye contact with Elena and as she watched the entrancing dance, everyone else in the room disappeared and it was only her, Damon, and the sway of his hips. In the back of her mind, she knew that Caroline was also there stripping and Stefan was probably watching Elena's reactions to Damon closely, but she didn't care.

Damon traced his finger's down his abs until he met the button of his jeans. He began to unbutton and unzip his jeans, all the while thrusting his pelvis. At the sight, Elena gulped to try attempting to moisten her mouth and she leaned forward, eagerly awaiting the next part of the dance, but it never came. Damon stopped moving, the music also stopped and reality hit her as Caroline's voice overwhelmed her senses.

"That's it! I'm done! He wins!" She sat back down and Damon smiled smugly. He reclaimed his seat next to Elena. Elena leaned back and tried to cool down now that she was broken from her trance. She didn't have it in her to look at Stefan.

"Okay!" Elena quickly tried to alter the energy of the room, "Who's next?"

"I'll go," Tyler volunteered. He, unlike Matt, knew exactly what he was going to do, "Elena. Truth or Dare."

Elena sat still for a moment, trying to weigh the benefits and disadvantages to both options. If she said truth and Tyler asked if she had feelings for Damon, she couldn't answer that. Yet, if she said dare and he dared her to kiss Damon, she could blame that on Tyler and hopefully have no repercussions. So, she made her choice.

"Dare." Elena said.

"I dare you to kiss the hottest guy in this room." Tyler raised his eyebrows wickedly. Stefan straightened his posture, waiting for his girlfriend to turn and kiss him. Her friends sat in silence, staring at her as she stayed frozen in place.

Elena didn't know what came over her, alcohol, lust, instinct, maybe even love, but she never regretted it.

Elena turned to her right to Damon and quickly grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down to her lips. Everyone in the room was stunned, mouth agape as they watched Elena trace her hand down Damon's exposed bicep. She pulled herself closer to him and he wrapped his hands around her waist, as she straddled his lap. After a moment, Elena pulled away and lightly pecked his lips one last time.

They breathed heavily, resting their foreheads against each other's. Together, they slowly opened their eyes and made eye contact and when they did, Elena smiled broadly and let out a happy laugh. Damon smiled in response, but he didn't have much time to revel because Stefan grabbed Damon by the back of the neck and flung him out from under Elena.

Stefan tackled Damon on the ground and punched him in the face. Everyone watched in horror as Stefan lashed out, and Damon just lied there, taking it. At least he did until Elena ran up and flung Stefan off of Damon. She slowly helped Damon up and shielded him with her body as she stared down the crazed Stefan, ready to fight him.

"Stefan," Caroline said, edging her way to him. She reached him and rested a hand on his arm, "Stefan, c'mon. Let's get out of here before you hurt one of them." She began pulling him towards the door and Stefan hesitantly followed, angrily slamming the door behind him.


	2. The Aftermath

The rest of the evening was short. All the alcohol Elena had consumed had caught up to her and almost immediately after Stefan's storm-out she passed out on the ground in front of the fireplace.

The next morning Elena woke up wrapped in soft silken sheets. She tossed her arms and legs over the entirety of the bed and knew exactly where she was…Damon's room. She slowly lifted her head and checked out her surroundings, her vision still blurry from a mix of sleep and hangover.

The thing she was most relieved about was the fact that she was still completely clothed. It wasn't that she didn't trust Damon; she knew he wouldn't take advantage of her, it just always made her feel good when Damon did something that proved he was a good man…but she must admit that she liked the way he could veer of the "good" road at just the right times. She always had a little thing for the bad boy.

Elena slowly pushed her body up until she was sitting with her back against the bed frame.

"Well, well, sleeping beauty awakens," Damon was leaning against the doorframe, holding a cup of coffee in his right hand. He must have heard her stirring. Elena smiled at the sight of him, but was quickly overtaken with guilt from the events of the previous evening.

"Hey," Elena greeted, clearing her throat.

"Hey," Damon flashed her a quick smile. He walked over to the bed and sat down on the side of the mattress. He handed Elena the cup of coffee which she accepted graciously.

"Thanks," She said, taking a small sip, "I really need it. I'm pretty hung over."

"Yeah…crazy night," Damon responded. He watched Elena with curious eyes, wondering if she would bring up the public display of affection. When she didn't, he stood up, preparing to return to the lower floor of the boarding house.

"Wait, where are you going?" Elena asked, stopping Damon.

"Downstairs. You need to rejuvenate…ya know…get all normal Elena-y without any hangover." Damon looked at Elena and shrugged his shoulders, "Shouldn't take too long to kick it, now that you've joined our super-exclusive vamp club." He gave her a half smile and continued walking to the door. When he reached the threshold, Elena stopped him once again.

"Wait! Damon?" Elena asked hurriedly, as though she was afraid that he'd just disappear on her. Damon stopped immediately at her plea.

"You don't need to sound so panicked," Damon said, turning around to face her again and leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe, "You ask, I do. I'm easy like that." Elena smiled inwardly at his joke, but kept her face serious.

"Where's my friends? Bonnie, Tyler, Matt, Jeremy?"

"They're still here. I think they're taking the whole 'boarding' part of the Salvatore boarding house a little too seriously." Damon responded. He slightly shifted his stance, and when he did his shirt rode up, exposing the flesh right above his pant line.

Elena did her best to avoid looking at the newly exposed skin. Unfortunately and fortunately, she lost the battle.

"My eyes are up here, Elena," Damon said, gesturing from his pants to his eyes. Elena rolled her eyes at this, even though his statement held some validity. After all, she _was_ staring. That's when a pressing thought hit her.

"Stefan?" Elena asked, choking on the sound of her boyfriend's (or ex? She honestly didn't know) name, "Where is he? Is he alright?" Damon's body tensed up at the new conversation topic, but he answered anyway.

"It's okay, Elena," He said comfortingly, "Caroline texted me. They spent the night at her house. No crazy ripper spree or anything of that sort."

Elena nodded in recognition of his answer. A new thought occurred to her, one that she felt awkward asking about, but she had to know. She cleared her throat before diving into the awkward question.

"Did they—?"

"Hah! No." Damon laughed at her assumption, "At least, I doubt it."

"Great. Really comforting, Damon," Elena said, worry painting her countenance. What if Stefan was just mad enough to actually go there?

"I shouldn't need to comfort you, Elena," Damon stated, "It's called logic. Barbie's in love with her dick of a hybrid boyfriend, and Stef's upset, sure, but no guy in his right mind could ever remain that mad at you." He paused, looking her over. She was silently watching him. "I mean, my relationship with you is either fawning after you, or hating you, but either way I'm helplessly in love with you."

Elena was taken aback by his sudden confession. It wasn't a surprise for Elena; she always knew that he was in love with her. It just seemed weird coming out of his mouth in this particular situation and context. After all, he was just trying to console her about her boyfriend who also just happened to be his brother.

Maybe the oddity of the confession was also stemmed from aftermath of the events of last night. Elena woke up this morning still feeling tingles on her lips left from Damon's kisses. She didn't know if this was a curse or a blessing.

"Damon…" Elena stated hesitantly. She didn't know what else to say. Did she love Damon Salvatore, as more than just a friend? Yes, in her different, scary, weird sort of way. Did she want him to know that she loved him? No.

"I know," Damon responded, "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not," Elena knew he wasn't because with feeling sorry comes feeling guilty and he didn't feel guilty. She knew this from the nostalgia of their first real kiss: _If I'm going to feel guilty about anything, I'm going to feel guilty about this._

Her first kiss with Damon was amazing; it had totally surprised her and when they're lips connected legitimately for the first time on that porch, she felt butterflies consume her stomach and the feeling of his callused hands on her neck was so comforting that everything in the world slowed to the point where everything was momentarily right.

"You're right, I'm not." Damon responded. He pushed himself off of the doorframe until he was standing erect, "Come on down, I made breakfast." He said as he disappeared out of sight. Elena watched him go, and furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"_You_ made _breakfast _for _us_?!" Elena shouted after Damon.

"Let it go, Gilbert!" Damon shouted back.

Elena laughed at his response and steadily rose from the bed. Thoughts of the elder Salvatore brother flooded her mind and she realized that she might be a little too fond of him for the good of anyone.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I'm not sure how long this fic will turn out to be, but it has the potential to last a little while. Reviews are greatly appreciated! **


	3. Damon Can Cook

There's something so hot about watching a guy cook. At least, for Elena watching Damon, that seemed to be the case. She leaned over the table, head resting on her hand as she watched Damon balance saucer and ingredients. He had a dish towel draped carelessly over his shoulder and his hair was mussed by the steam rising from the hot pans on the stove.

No matter how hard she wanted to not look, she could only seem to stare.

She loved Damon, but she also loved Stefan. And that's why she couldn't be with Damon. Not to mention, Damon was too exhilarating for Elena. At this point in her life, she felt the need to stay in her safety net, what with the transition and all that.

"Earth to Elena," Bonnie chanted, snapping Elena from her reverie and returning her to friends'. They were all eating unique meals made especially for them by Damon. Even though he pretended like he didn't care about any of them other than Elena, he obviously did.

"Sorry, guys," Elena said, taking a large swig out of her second cup of coffee, "I'm just a little distracted today…"

"Maybe by a certain black haired, blue-eyed vampire?" Matt asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Elena responded by jokingly glaring at him with pursed lips.

"Ahh, give her a break," Bonne said. She grabbed Elena's hand and squeezed it, "She's had a pretty crazy weekend."

"Pretty crazy life actually," Elena contested. She smiled at her friends and glanced back at Damon to see what he was doing. Damon noticed her attention being turned to him, so he held up a whole onion to show her.

"I'm going to add the entirety of this to your omelet," He said with a wicked look in his eyes. Everyone knew that Elena absolutely _despised_ the taste of onions.

"Don't you do it!" Elena threatened. Damon raised his eyebrows and began cutting up the onion, "Damon!" Elena jumped out of her seat and ran over to where Damon was working and yanked the knife out of his hand. In reality, Elena didn't care about Damon ruining her omelet with onions; she just wanted to find an excuse to be near him.

Damon laughed and grabbed the chopped onions off the cutting board. He tossed them into the omelet while staring at Elena. She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows.

"Relax," Damon joked, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face, "This is for me. I was going to make you a different one."

"You better," Elena demanded, playfully punching his chest.

"_They're acting like a married couple,_" Elena overheard Matt whisper to Tyler.

_"Is that good or bad?" _Tyler whispered back.

_"Both?"_ Matt responded. Elena found it funny how Matt was just as confused about her relationship with Damon as she was.

She could feel her friends' eyes burning into her back as she mindlessly flirted with Damon. She always had a flirt factor with Damon, but she was flirting a lot more today than any other day. She figured this was because her and Stefan's relationship was obviously on the fritz and she felt like she had more freedom.

"Pass me the eggs, please!" Elena hollered at Damon. She was chopping up vegetables to put in her own omelet.

"Get them yourself," Damon grumbled. He held up the carton of eggs, staring her down with flirtatious eyes.

Elena walked over to him, swaying her hips a bit more than usual. When she went to reach for them, Damon held them higher. She jumped up to grab them, but couldn't reach it. After a moment, she quit and decided to just grab his wrist. They're bodies were only an inch apart, and as Elena pulled down his hand, they're bodies melded easily like puzzle pieces.

Elena's free hand was braced against the counter behind Damon. Her fingers on the other hand were gently clasped around his wrist and she found that she was subconsciously stroking his wrist. Damon's free hand was resting on the small of her back. Their faces were so close in proximity that their lips were only an inch apart. Elena was breathing heavily and her chest was heaving up and down against Damon's.

All she wanted in that moment was to close the distance between their lips and float in their kiss. All she wanted was to feel the ferocity in the fire of their passion. But, a voice sounded in her head that turned her away from what she wanted. It was Bonnie's voice.

She was telepathically communicating and said: "Elena…remember that you are still in a relationship with Stefan."

Those words were the last thing that Elena wanted to hear, but they worked because they pulled her from Damon's grip. As she pulled away, Damon tightened his lips into a line because no matter how close he thought he was getting to her, it seemed like she'd never chose him.

Elena's phone buzzed in her back pocket. Still in a desperate attempt to compose herself after her brush up with Damon, she fumbled for her cell. She pulled it out and looked at the screen which read _Stefan Calling_.

She stared at her phone temporarily before finally answering.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Elena. It's Stefan."

"I know…How are you?" Elena's voice hinted concern.

"I'm with Caroline right now. We're just having breakfast at the Grill."

"Ah, yeah. I'm just getting some breakfast, too." Elena responded. The conversation was awkward because she didn't really know what to say to him.

"I think we need to talk about last night," Stefan said, getting to the point of the phone call.

"I agree…Stefan, I'm really sorry." Elena pleaded into the phone. She caught Damon's eyes, two bright blue orbs tormented by her words. She attempted to display sympathy and apologize with her countenance, but it didn't come across as well as she had hoped.

"I know you are and I forgive you," Stefan reassured her. Elena exhaled in relief. Her act was forgiven, yet she doubted that it would ever be forgotten.

"Oh. Good."

"Yeah, but I do think we still need to talk. In person. I'm coming home after breakfast; meet me at the boarding house?"

"Yeah, that works. I'm already here actually, so it's good."

"Why are you still there?" Stefan asked suspiciously.

"Because I sure as hell wasn't going to send her home drunk, Stef!" Damon intruded on the conversation. Elena widened her eyes at Damon and violently gestured for him to shut up. Damon just shrugged in response.

"Hmm…" Stefan said, "I suppose that's a good thing…as long as—."

"Nothing happened," Elena interrupted him before he could get out the accusation. And it was true. Nothing _physically_ happened between Damon and Elena, but Elena could feel that something _emotionally _happened between the two.

"Good," Stefan said, "I'll see you in about thirty." And with those final words, Stefan hung up.

Elena slowly pulled her phone from her ear and looked at Damon and her friends' in confusion.

"Why was he not mad?" She asked. Her friends' all looked at her with blank faces. Matt shrugged and Jeremy just shook his head to say 'I don't know' as he stuffed his mouth full of hash browns.

"I told you," Damon spoke up, his voice holding hints of sadness, "Who could ever remain mad at that pretty face?"

**A/N: Thanks for the lovely reviews on the last couple chapters. They are greatly appreciated, so if you have a moment please leave a response!**


	4. Her History with Him

Elena sat on the large couch in front of the fireplace. She was attempting to read a book, but her mind was preoccupied with boy drama. Her friends had all left the house after breakfast. Stefan had said that he'd be at the house in thirty minutes, but an hour had already passed.

"Where's the boy toy?" Damon asked, walking into the parlor and pouring himself a bourbon. Elena looked up from her book and shrugged.

"Late, I guess," She passively responded. Damon watched her with curious eyes, trying to read how she felt about Stefan's absence.

"Are you upset about that?" Damon questioned, picking up Elena's legs from the couch and sitting down. She dropped her legs back on to his lap.

"I don't really have the right to be," Elena responded. She closed the book and tossed it on the coffee table.

"Actually, Elena, even with what you did last night, Stefan should still show up when he said he would. It's only gentlemanly." Damon stated. He didn't like that Elena was left waiting without any notice from Stefan.

"With this life we live, anything could've happened." Elena defended Stefan, "I don't know. I don't care."

"Okay, Miss Denial," Damon joked. No matter what, it seemed like Elena would always defend Stefan.

"Damon?" Elena asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Damon responded, taking a sip of his bourbon.

"I know about the deal that you and Stefan made." Damon stopped mid-sip and slowly set down his glass on the table. He turned to look her full-on.

"Which one? We make a lot." Damon said, "Are you talking about the bet we made about Jeremy's future?"

"What?!" Elena asked, suddenly curious.

"Nevermind…" Damon said with a little smile that was supposed to show innocence. Elena wasn't sure he could ever pull off the innocent look though.

"No, the one about you leaving…because I chose Stefan," Elena said hesitantly, she leaned up and scooted closer to Damon with her legs still draped over his lap.

"Oh yeah, that one." Damon gently rested his hand on her ankle, "Don't worry. I only stuck around long enough to help you with your transition. I'll leave soon enough…maybe go to visit Klaus in New Orleans." Damon joked, but his joke was empty, obviously a thinly veiled form of sadness.

"I don't want you to go," Elena confessed. She knew that she was walking on thin ice by telling Damon this and she knew that it could only complicate things further, but she needed to let him know, "I'm with Stefan and I know that's not how you want it to be, but I'm not ready to live my life without you."

"Elena…" Damon began, "I can't be a shadow of yours and Stef's past, hanging like a ghost over your relationship. To stay would be selfish, and I just can't be selfish with you." Damon raised his hand and lightly brushed Elena's cheek; she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "You've already lived sixteen years without me. You'll survive."

"Now that I know what it's like having you in my life, I can't imagine my life without you!" Elena insisted. She took his hands in between her own to drive the point home. Her fingertips tingled at the contact, but she maintained her composure.

"But not all of me," Damon said sadly. Elena cocked her head to the side and looked down, ashamed and sad. It was undeniable that she did want all of him, but for the sake of everyone, that wasn't an option. "I think I know why you run from us, you're scared. What we have…it's messy and complicated."

"Hah, yeah. That's the truth," Elena looked at him and when her doe brown eyes met with the electric blue of his eyes, she burst out into spontaneous laughter. She was laughing because for the first time in what-felt-like forever, the biggest problem she had in her life was boys. Even if those boys happened to be 150+ year-old vampires. Damon furrowed his brow and confusedly watched her laugh. The longer he watched, the more he found himself smiling.

"Elena," Damon said, still smiling. Elena stopped laughing, but a smile was still plastered on her face.

"What?"

"I'll stay for you, if you really want me to. I'll do whatever you ask of me…granting that it's not absolutely stupid and dangerous," Damon assured her, "I will stay and I will always love you. Until you come to terms with your feelings, I'll lay off and just be your friend." He smiled to comfort her and she smiled back.

"Thank you," She whispered. Her voice seemed lost, stunned by the amazing amount of love and selflessness that Damon could possess when it came to her. Damon just nodded in response. The room fell silent and Elena watched as Damon stared mindlessly at the fire crackling in the hearth. He looked hurt and yet relieved about the fact that Elena had requested that he remain in her life. Watching him, all Elena wanted to do was take away his pain by giving him her love, but she knew she couldn't. Being with him would complicate everything and life was already too complicated.

So instead, she crawled across the couch and curled up under his arm, resting her head against his hard, yet somehow comfortable chest. She listened to the beat of his heart because, contrary to popular belief, vampires do have beating hearts. She listened to the steadiness of his breath and her breathing locked onto the same tempo as his. She began dozing off, comforted by the stillness of the whole situation.

Right before she fell asleep, it occurred to her that if this was what it would be like to date Damon Salvatore, she could probably justify doing it.

* * *

Elena woke up an hour later to the sound of the front door slamming. She popped up, startled. At the sudden coldness where Elena's head was, Damon opened his eyes. Apparently, he fell asleep as well.

Stefan walked into the parlor with quick footsteps. When he saw Elena cuddled up with Damon, he narrowed his eyes. He didn't look angry as much as he looked hurt. Reading his reaction, Elena quickly jumped up to explain the situation to him.

"We were just talking, Stefan, I swear. We just talked and fell asleep. Nothing else." Elena pleaded. Stefan stared at her disbelievingly.

Elena walked up to Stefan and touched his arm; there was nothing, no tingling, no warming sensation at the contact. "Damon and I are just friends." After a moment, Stefan's face relaxed and forgiveness replaced the pain in his eyes.

"I know. I'm sorry about how I reacted last night; that was awful. I should've been more understanding." Stefan said, taking Elena's hands in his own. As she looked into the light green eyes of this man who just apologized to her for her kissing his brother, she realized how different he was from his brother. Where Stefan is overly forgiving, Damon is challenging. Where Stefan is safe, Damon is unpredictable.

Stefan looked over Elena's shoulder at Damon who was sitting on the couch finishing the bourbon he poured two hours earlier.

"Give us a moment, Damon?" Stefan asked. Damon nodded in understanding and stood up. He began walking away when Stefan stopped him. "And Damon? I'm sorry about hitting you."

"It's okay, baby brother," Damon said with a smirk, "It's not exactly a _new _situation." Damon lifted his glass in the air and nodded before he left.

"Now, Elena," Stefan began, "I don't want you to apologize any more. I know you have feelings for Damon and I shouldn't try to just pretend like they don't exist. I've tried to block it out the moment I first noticed you falling in love with him." Stefan paused, hoping that maybe Elena would deny all that he said, but she couldn't. "It's fine for you to harbor him in your heart. You love and that's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. I just ask that you love me more than him."

Elena stood stunned by the raw honesty in his words.

"Okay," She choked out. "Yes, I love you more." Elena wasn't sure who she was trying to convince: Stefan or herself. Stefan seemed pleased with her response.

"I do have one request though," Stefan said.

"What's that?"

"Be open with me," Stefan requested, "Be honest with me and tell me every time you and Damon engaged physically." Elena stood in shock for a moment.

"Whatever happened to not wanting to know?" She questioned.

"Things change," Stefan responded, "Have you two—?"

"No." Elena said quickly, even though the thought of such actions with Damon did make her heart jump to her throat, "If you really want to know all of it, I'll tell you."

"I do. Come, sit." Stefan sat down on the couch where Damon and Elena were cuddling just moments earlier. Elena went and sat on the opposite side of the couch. It would feel wrong if she just immediately went and snuggled with Stefan there.

"Okay, where should I start?"

"The beginning is a good place," Stefan said, leaning back with his arm carelessly tossed over the side of the couch.

"Okay," Elena began. She felt awkward telling all of this to Stefan, but she knew that this was the only way to repair their relationship, "The first time we kissed was when he was dying by Tyler's werewolf bite."

"That early?! Tell me who instigated it," Stefan demanded. Elena just looked at him, unsure. Stefan read the look and said, "It's okay I won't get mad. I just need to know these things."

"I did, I kissed him," Elena said. Stefan just nodded, "The second time was after you almost drove me off the bridge."

"I wasn't actually—."

"I know."

"Good, continue," Stefan said.

"That was him kissing me, but I did kiss back," Elena didn't know why she added that second part, "And the third time was when you sent us on that road trip to Denver to pick up Jeremy."

"I knew it," Stefan whispered, "That was a stupid idea." Elena wanted to tell him that it wasn't a stupid idea, that in fact it gave her one of the best memories of her life, but she just continued the story.

"I instigated that one, too." Elena watched as Stefan pursed his lips and looked away from her, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"Continue," He choked out. Elena nodded.

"And finally, last night, which you know," Elena finished. Stefan let out a big sigh and then nodded.

"Thank you for telling me," Stefan said. _Didn't have much of a choice_, Elena thought. An awkward silence fell over the room.

Elena fished for some conversation to break the tension and eventually, she decided to ask the question that was burning inside her since his phone call that morning.

"Why did you forgive me so easily?" She inquired, leaning forward, eager to hear his answer.

"Because we all make mistakes," Stefan responded almost immediately, and his quick response made Elena suspicious as to what his mistake was.

**A/N: I know this probably seems very Stelena-esk, but it's not and there's more DE to come. I believe subtext is really important to prove Elena's feelings about Damon. Anyway, more to follow. Reviews are greatly, greatly appreciated!**


	5. Surprise, Surprise

The next morning, Elena woke up in Stefan's bed. She was wearing nothing but her bra and underwear. Slowly, she turned around to see if Stefan was there, but he wasn't, so she spread out across the entire mattress.

Elena leaned over and grabbed her phone off the side table. She checked to see if anyone had reached out to her. Bonnie texted her asking if she wanted to meet for lunch today, Jer messaged her wondering how long Elena was going to stay at the boarding house, and surprisingly, there was no message from Caroline.

Elena furrowed her brow, worried. Over the past couple days, her internal battle with her feelings for Stefan and Damon had consumed her life. It didn't even occur to her until this very moment that she hadn't heard from Caroline since the slumber party night.

She got out of bed and searched the room for something to cover herself with. She couldn't find anything, so she decided to just leave the room in what she was wearing. It didn't even occur to her that it might not be completely appropriate, seeing how she was living in a house with _both _Stefan _and _Damon_. _

Elena crept down the stairs and heard someone fumbling around in the kitchen. Assuming that it was Stefan, she mindlessly walked openly into the kitchen, staring at her phone.

"Hey Stefan, have you heard from Caroline recen—?" Elena halted mid-step, looking up from her phone. In front of her, Damon was leaning against the counter with his traditional swag. He held a glass of blood in his hand; his eyes were wandering all over Elena's body. His light blue eyes turned dark with impure thoughts as he panned up her legs. He raised his eyebrows.

"Well, good morning Elena," He said, winking at her flirtatiously. Elena gulped.

"I-I," Elena stumbled, "I thought you were Stefan."

"Did you?" Damon accused. Elena stood silent because a little part of her did know that it wasn't Stefan in that kitchen, but she would never admit it.

Damon kept letting his eyes wander below her neck. Elena normally would've felt extremely awkward and even a little angry, but she found herself loving the way Damon looked at her. He looked lost and desperate. His eyes were longing; it was obvious that he loved all of her.

"Do you mind?" She cleared her throat. Damon bowed his head and turned around. Elena desperately searched the kitchen for something to cover herself up; maybe an apron, but she couldn't find anything. "Dammit." She cursed under her breath.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked, "Can I turn around yet?"

"No," Elena said quickly. She thought that she looked absolutely crazy, searching a kitchen half naked as Damon stood on standby.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked again, "Missing a certain something to cover up that amazing bod?" Elena blushed at Damon's compliment and let a smile curl across her cheeks.

"Yeah, actually," Elena said, running a hand through her hair, "I guess I'll just go upstairs."

"That's not necessary," Damon stopped her before she could run off. He turned around to face her again and steadily began unbuttoning his shirt. Elena watched as his hands moved down his torso. _Rose wasn't lying when she said 'dripping with sex.' _Elena inappropriately thought. She wasn't sure what Damon was doing, but she decided to stick around for the show. She watched incessantly curious, eager to figure out what this unpredictable vampire was doing.

He removed the entirety of his shirt and slowly walked over to Elena. She stood completely still, waiting. She wasn't sure what she expected, but what he ended up doing was draping his shirt over her shoulders. He took a few steps back from her, leaving her feeling empty and cold.

Elena quickly buttoned up his shirt. His shirt smelled of bourbon and smoke from a fireplace she loved the feeling of the remnants of the warmth of his skin.

"Have you seen Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Yep, he said he was going to meet an old friend at the Grill," Damon responded. Elena looked at him with curiosity, "Don't ask me, he didn't tell me anything else."

"Okay…have you heard from Caroline recently?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah. She called me this morning and we gossiped about Tyler and that bitch from school that is ALWAYS wearing the same thing as her," Damon said sarcastically.

"Point taken," Elena responded. Damon smiled at her and began doing his eye-thing that drove Elena absolutely crazy. That's when the doorbell rang. Elena and Damon looked at each other, and then, almost like magnets, they both moved towards the door. When they reached the front door, Elena opened it.

"Rebekah," Elena gasped in surprise.

Across the threshold stood Rebekah Mikaelson, hand placed sassily on her hip. At the image of Damon and Elena standing next to each other, half-naked wearing looks of shock, Rebekah raised her eyebrows.

"So is this a thing now?" She inquired, her British accent adding more sass to the original statement.

"It's not how it looks," Elena pleaded with Rebekah.

"Really?" Rebekah obviously didn't believe Elena, "Do you mind if I get a picture of this?" Rebekah laughed as she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture so quickly that Damon and Elena didn't have any time to react.

"Rebekah, get rid of that picture," Elena demanded. She stood defensively in the doorway, staring down the blonde.

"Why?" Rebekah held up the phone so they could see the photo. It didlook pretty incriminating. "I think it's pretty cute. We could put it on the Christmas card this year. Imagine what your parents will say when they see that! Oh wait…" Rebekah flashed Elena a wicked smile.

"Now, now, Beks," Damon said, leaning against the door, "No need to be so vicious. Don't take your jealousy out on Elena." Elena put her hand on his bare chest to signal him to stop talking.

"There's nothing to be jealous about. Rebekah, listen…" Elena pleaded, "Don't say anything about this to Stefan. There's nothing to it, it would just be hard to explain to him."

"That you're cheating on him with his brother? That _is _hard to explain." Rebekah responded with a smile.

"No, Damon and I haven't…" Elena said, "It's just…nevermind, just leave it, okay?"

"Trouble in paradise?" Rebekah laughed a bit. Elena and Damon just stared her down.

"Why are you here?" Elena gave up her battle against Rebekah, figuring that even if Rebekah told Stefan what she saw, Elena could probably convince Stefan that Rebekah was just spreading rumors.

"Elijah wanted me to bring you this," Rebekah held out an envelope, and Elena accepted it, "I voted against inviting you, but he insisted."

"Okay, thank yoooou!" Damon said sarcastically as he began closing the door.

Right before he slammed it in her face, Rebekah shouted, "He's good in the sac, isn't he, Elena?!"

"She's a piece of work, isn't she?" Elena whispered to Damon.

"Yeah, but she knows her stuff under the covers," Damon responded. Elena felt an overwhelming amount of jealousy flood through her system.

"Thanks for the information, Damon," Elena snapped. She didn't intend for it to come out as venomous as it did. Damon picked up on her jealousy and smugly smiled. He leaned down to her ear.

"I bet you're better though," He whispered. His breath tickled her neck and she felt her knees weakening. She was surprised that she didn't just collapse onto him right then and there. It occurred to Elena that if she wanted to maintain her relationship with Stefan and friendship with Damon, she should avoid all situations that include her and Damon being half naked. Elena gulped and took a step back from Damon.

"Let's see what this letter is," She ripped open the envelope and read silently for a moment.

"Well?" Damon asked.

"It's an invitation," Elena said, "To the Annual Mikaelson Ball."

"Sooo…" Damon said, "They're trying to kill you again." Elena shrugged and gave Damon the invitation.

"Honestly, I don't know," Elena began walking into the parlor, "I actually think that they sorta genuinely like me. Minus Cole and Rebekah, of course."

"Hmm," Damon followed her into the parlor, "Well, even if that is the case, I'm going." Elena smiled at the thought of being at a ball with Damon. Every time she's been at one with him, she's always had an opportunity to dance with him. Dancing with Damon was one of her favorite activities.

"Fair enough," Elena turned around to face Damon. He was shocked that Elena didn't fight him on the subject. "Well, I guess I should get dressed." Elena said, walking back up the stairs to Stefan's room where the rest of her clothing was.

"Just keep the shirt," Damon called after her. After all, he had plenty of the same kind and there was something very, very hot about seeing Elena wearing it.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update! Reviews would be great!**


	6. It's Too Much

Elena ended up meeting Bonnie for lunch. When she walked into the Grill, she waved and smiled at Matt before sitting across from Bonnie.

"Hey!" Elena said. Matt walked up to the two.

"Hey, what can I get you guys?" Matt offered.

"The usual," Bonnie smiled up at Matt.

"Alright, two Cokes comin' right up!" Matt walked away to fetch their drinks.

"So," Bonnie began, "How are you doing?" Elena thought for a moment about how to best answer that question. She could just do what she's been doing for the past few years since her parents died and say 'I'm fine,' or she could actually tell the truth. Now, looking at the innocent face of her best friend, she voted on the latter.

"Not good, Bon," Elena said, twirling a hair around her finger. Bonnie watched Elena with concern.

"What's wrong?" Just then, Matt walked up with their drinks. He set them down and smiled at them before he walked away to finish cleaning up a mess across the room.

"I don't know, I just feel…wrong, unfulfilled." Elena paused, trying to read Bonnie's reaction, "Do you know what I'm saying or am I just crazy?"

"Oh you're defiantly crazy," Bonnie responded and Elena laughed, "But, I do know what you're saying. Do you know why you feel that way?"

Immediately, the devilishly handsome blue-eyed, black haired vampire popped into Elena's head, but she didn't want to admit to thinking of him.

"No," Elena lied. Bonnie raised her eyebrows and leaned forward on her hands.

"Really?" Bonnie asked. She could read Elena like a book.

"No…" Elena looked up from under her long eyelashes, "Okay, you got me. I know why."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Damon," Elena said matter-of-factly. At the sound of his name, Bonnie's eyes narrowed disapprovingly. Elena read the look, "I know you don't like him, but…I don't know. I just can't seem to shake him." Bonnie's face relaxed and understanding replaced her disapproval.

"I know, I know you care about him," Bonnie said, taking Elena's hand, "And I want you to know that I will always be here for you, no matter which brother you chose."

"Thanks, Bon," Elena smiled, "You are way more understanding than Caroline."

"Have you told her?"

"No actually, I haven't heard from her in a little while. When did you last talk to her?" Elena asked, furrowing her brow in sudden reignited concern.

"I was on the phone with her right before you came in." Bonnie responded.

"Hmm…" Elena thought back to all the unanswered phone calls and texts, "I guess she's just ignoring me." Elena didn't think anything of it. Caroline's always gone through random phases where she'd just block someone out of her life. It used to bother Elena, but after sixteen years of the same patterns, Elena was used to it.

* * *

That evening, Elena reclined in the parlor listening to music on her phone and thinking. It was one o'clock in the morning and Elena just couldn't sleep. Her mind was plagued with thoughts of Stefan and mainly Damon.

She couldn't stop thinking about what Stefan had said to her right before he went to bed: "I want you to go hunting with me tomorrow after school, get you off the human stuff so we can fix this." He said it so passively; as if he didn't even know the effect it had on her. She couldn't stop wondering, _fix 'this' or fix me?_

Her thoughts wandered to Damon. Just being around him recently was driving her crazy. She didn't know how long she could last with this whole "just friends" thing. Just seeing him with his perfectly sculpted body and loving acceptance was enough to send her over the edge. But, somehow she's managed to keep her cool. The question she was battling with at this moment was: _is it actually better or worse to keep my cool? _

Just then, as if a sign from the universe, _Fire Breather_ by Laurel shuffled onto her phone. The lyrics flooded her mind. She felt herself being drawn to the elder Salvatore with every stanza.

_Town crier, village flyer_

_Got a skull and crossbones on his chest_

_And I can't resist_

_When he looks like this_

She thought back to the first time she met Damon…both first times. He was so mysterious, handsome, and exhilaratingly dangerous. Then, she remembered all the times that he saved her life, even if it meant risking his own. Even when she hated him, he took an arrow in the back for her, expecting nothing in return.

_All his other girls, face on magazines  
Big blue eyes, oh I don't know what it means_

_What does he want from me?_

Elena found herself walking up the stairs. This hyper confusing thing that she's had with Damon for two years was starting to clarify. It wasn't that things would ever be easy for them or that suddenly everything was okay…no, Elena knew that her life was too complicated for that. She just accepted that her life was messy and complicated, and nothing she could do would change that. So, she figured that she might as well take what she wanted while she's at it.

_We're hanging in the bars  
Runnin' after cars to get home  
Wishin' on the stars, wonderin' what you are  
I just don't know, he's beautiful  
Maybe he shines a little more than me_

Elena reached the large oak door that led to Damon's room. She stood, silently watching the wood that was blocking her from her destiny. She could picture him standing in his room, looking out the window sipping bourbon.

_No! It's too much, burn my sun  
Up in flames we go, you fire breather  
Ash and dust on my door, smoke rises  
Trying to survive inside your heart_

Elena violently pushed the door open without knocking and stormed into the room. Damon came out of the bathroom, completely alert. He was (oddly) fully clothed.

At the sight of him, Elena pulled out her earphones and threw them onto his bed.

"Elena? What's—?" Damon was interrupted by Elena closing the few feet that distanced them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips up against his.

At first, Damon was surprised by the sudden display of affection, but he quickly melted into it.

He reached down and picked Elena up by the thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist and deepened the kiss. The longer she was pressed up against Damon, the more her desire burned.

They were lost in each other. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him as close to her as physically possible. Damon responded by pushing her up against the wall.

Next to them was the dresser. Damon swiped his hand across the top of it, pushing every item off and onto the ground. He gently placed Elena on top of the dresser and broke the kiss. Elena tried to pull him back down to her lips, but he stopped her.

"What?" Elena asked breathlessly against his lips.

"What are you doing?" Damon whispered, drawing his hand across her cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled; his touch was like silk.

Elena held his hand against her cheek and reopened her eyes to see his reaction.

"It's called making a choice," Elena responded. She watched as Damon's blue eyes lit up and he looked at her with shock, "Damon…I choose you."

Damon gave her a half-smile and brushed his thumb against her bottom lip before he bent over and caught it between his lips. Elena smiled against his kisses and for the first time in a long time, she felt genuinely happy.

**A/N: I haven't seen the s5 season finale yet, so please no spoilers in the reviews. I'm already going through emotional turmoil for DE and I haven't even seen the episode yet. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this update and there is defiantly more to come! Reviews are super-duper awesome. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Loved by Elena Gilbert

"Do you know what time it is?" Elena asked. She and Damon were curled up on Damon's bed; she was tucked under Damon's arm. They hadn't done anything except kiss and hold each other all night. Now, they were staring into each other's eyes, and much to Damon's happiness, Elena was looking at him with inexplicable love.

"Nope. I've been a little preoccupied." Damon smiled and pecked Elena on the lips. At the gesture, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. She closed the distance between their lips again, this time kissing him longer and deeper. As the kiss progressed, Elena felt her heart beat quicken, but she was somehow still calm. Feeling his body pressed against her was both exhilarating and comforting.

Damon broke from her lips and began kissing down her jawline, down her neck to her clavicle. Elena giggled and then when she felt Damon's hand sneak up under her shirt and stroke her bare stomach, her giggles caught in her throat and turned to moans. His callused fingers drew lazy circles on her navel and Elena's breathing quickened. It was obvious what he wanted and all she wanted was to let him have her, but her morals caught up to her.

"Damon, no, stop," She demanded. Damon's hands immediately froze and he pulled away to look at her. Reflected in his eyes was worry and disappointment. He thought Elena was going back on her decision.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm still with Stefan," Elena declared. Damon's face twisted into an upset look and he rolled off the bed.

"It's always going to be Stefan, isn't it?" Damon asked. Elena heard both sadness and anger brimming in his voice, two things that Elena had fantasized she would permanently remove from his life.

"No!" Elena insisted, standing up and rushing over to him. She grabbed him by the forearm and looked him straight in the eyes, "I still choose you, Damon! I just…as of this moment, I am still technically Stefan's girlfriend. I'm just asking that we hold off from _that_ until I've ended it with your brother."

Understanding replaced the pain in Damon's eyes.

"Oh," Damon said, feeling a little embarrassed by his insecurities making him jump to such conclusions, "You really have to work on clear communication skills, Elena. When are you going to end it with him?"

"I don't know," Elena responded. This was not the response Damon was expecting and he furrowed his brow in confusion. Reading the look, Elena said, "Damon, we just got him back from Klaus. The only reason he didn't flip his switch is because he was waiting 'til he came back to me. He stuck around solely for my love…I need to make sure he's going to be okay before I break this to him."

"I don't think you're giving him enough credit. He's stronger than he seems," Damon responded. He could've silently agreed with her, but he wasn't that brother. He was the brother that challenged her. Plus, he didn't see the logic behind her reasoning.

"I know you probably think I'm a little insane by saying that," Elena began and Damon nodded in agreement. Elena smiled at him and jokingly rolled her eyes, "But nonetheless, I just want to be sure he's going to be okay."

"Elena Gilbert…so selfless and loving. I don't deserve you," Damon brushed his hand across her cheekbone and she smiled. She stepped closer to him and draped her arms over his shoulders.

"You deserve to be happy. We both deserve to be happy. We just somehow ended up finding happiness in each other." Elena rested her head against Damon's chest and exhaled in his grip, "Just give me until the Mikaelson ball. I'll tell him after that."

Damon wanted to have her right then and there, but listening to the request from the girl he loves and feeling her head resting gently against his chest made him realize that he'd do whatever she wanted of him.

"Fine," Damon conceded. After all, the ball was only two days away. "But it's going to be damn hard watching you with him…it always has, but it will be harder now, knowing where your heart lies."

"I won't do anything with him. Only the bare minimum to keep up appearances, I promise." Elena whispered reassuringly to Damon. He ran his fingers through her hair and held her head closely against his chest.

"I'm still skeptical about that ball, I think it's incredibly stupid to blindly attend without any consideration," Damon argued. He kissed the top of Elena's head, "We've all pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime."

"You and Stefan have. And sure, there was that one time when I planned with their mother to kill all of them, but eh, they're old, they're evolved enough to forgive."

"I doubt it," Damon scoffed, "Nonetheless, I'm not going to let you out of my sight."

"Good," Elena responded; she pressed her palm against his heart and closed her eyes.

"Ya know what, Elena?" Damon whispered against her hair.

"What?"

"Now that you've come to terms with your feelings…" Damon began, releasing his hand from her hair and running it down her spine slowly. She shivered against his touch, "…and you want me, but you know you can't have me…" Damon slipped his hand into her back pocket and leaned down to where his lips were touching her ear. He placed his other hand under her shirt and on to the bare skin of her torso. His touch was cold, but it ignited a fire within her, "…you're only going to want me more."

His final whisper was soft enough so only she could hear and the air he blew out to say the words tickled her neck. She shivered, desiring nothing but him. Damon felt her react, but to prove his point, he pulled away. Elena felt cold with the sudden distance.

She grabbed her phone off the bed and cleared her throat. The screen read 7:00 am.

"Oh, damn," Elena spoke worriedly, "Stefan will be up soon." She bent down and picked up her shoes from the floor. When she stood back up Damon caught her by the waist and kissed her slowly, softly, and sweetly. When he pulled away, Elena stumbled forward, dumbfounded by the man standing before her. She loved how their kisses could switch from hyper passionate to tenderly loving, and how both forms sent her over the edge.

"Mmm," Elena moaned with her eyes still closed and a pleased smile planted on her face, "I have school today, so I'll see you afterwards?"

"Ditch," Damon requested.

"Damon…" Elena said, "I would really like to graduate."

"It's one day. C'mon, you're anti-rebellion attitude is cute, but damn annoying."

"I am rebellious!" Elena insisted, playfully slapping Damon's chest. Damon raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Would an 'anti-rebellious' person be doing this?" Elena leaned forward and kissed Damon long and passionately. She entwined her fingers in his hair and inhaled deeply, loving the way his scent overwhelmed her. Damon broke the kiss.

"Now there's no way I'm letting you go." Damon said.

"Fine," Elena gave in, figuring that spending the day sneaking around with Damon would be considerably more fun than Trig class. "But I have to make sure Stefan isn't suspicious."

"Whatever you got to do, as long as you come back to me," Damon said. Elena had never seen this side of Damon before, the side that was so happy and fulfilled that everything he said was so boyfriend-esk. Whoever said that Damon wasn't boyfriend material was seriously wrong. She found herself wondering if the Damon in front of her was more similar to 1800s Damon. He was still his arrogant, hot, impulsive, exhilarating self, but he seemed to no longer be constantly sad or broken.

Elena was a little surprised that Damon hadn't insisted on rubbing her newly accepted affections for him in Stefan's face. It was obvious that now that he had her, there was no longer anything he needed to prove.

"Oh right," Elena remembered back to her earlier conversation with Stefan. She face-palmed, "Stefan was going to force me to go hunting with him afterschool."

"Ouch. 'Force' is such a strong word."

"But it's true. I'd really rather not…" Elena paused, "Anyway you could get me out of that?"

"I will do everything within my power to save you from the squirrels. They are dangerous when they feel threatened." Damon said. Elena smiled and laughed at his joke.

"Thank you, my hero!" Elena joked and Damon smiled at her because even though she was joking, he could hear some sincerity in her voice. She pecked him on the lips and walked out of his room.

Damon watched as she went, and for the first time since he his death, he felt satisfaction because he was loved by none other than Elena Gilbert.

**A/N: So, I've seen the finale. And I am still crying. I was mourning which is why I didn't post this chapter immediately. I hope you enjoyed this. This chapter was super fluffy because I think everyone needs some Delena fluff at the moment. Unfortunately, our love birds don't have an only-fluff road to walk down in this fic because after all, it's never easy for Delena.**

**Review please! **


	8. Amateur Hour

Elena tiptoed downstairs carefully. Living with vampires made it close to impossible to sneak in and out of places. Now that she was a vampire though, she was stealthier and had heightened senses; all she needed to do was tap into them. As she edged past Stefan's room, she heard him stir. Using vampire speed, she raced down to the couch that she started out on the night before and quickly plopped down on it.

She was searching the cushions for her phone when Stefan descended the staircase. That was when Elena realized that she left her phone on Damon's bed. She silently cursed herself for making such an amateur mistake…but considering that she was an amateur, she gave herself some slack. She had never behaved so promiscuously before in her life. Stefan walked over to her and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Hey, why didn't you come to bed last night?" Stefan asked.

"Couldn't sleep," Elena responded passively.

"Ah, I'm sorry," Stefan sat down next to her, "Why couldn't you?"

_Because I was making out with your brother,_ Elena instantly thought, but instead she said, "Just thinking."

"Hmm, anything interesting?" It was obvious that Stefan was attempting to bring them closer together and repair their damaged relationship, but Elena didn't engage it.

"Nothing new," She responded, running her fingers through her hair.

"Well, we should be getting to school," Stefan said, standing up and picking up his backpack from the ground.

"I'm not going," Elena said straight-forwardly.

"What? Why?" Stefan inquired, sitting back down and leaning forward to examine Elena like she was some broken doll. Elena knew that he was just worried about her, but she was really tired of people looking at her like that.

"It's nothing; I just want to take a day off."

"Okay," Stefan threw off his backpack, "Then I'll stay with you."

"No!" Elena responded a little too quickly. Stefan raised his eyebrows suspiciously, and Elena questioned momentarily if her decision to keep him in the dark was actually the right one. "I'm sorry, it's just that…I want some 'me time,' to just rash some things out…alone." Elena reached over and grabbed Stefan's hand to distill any suspicion, "Can you respect that?"

"Yes, of course," Stefan said, stroking the back of her hand, "But I want you to know that whatever it is you feel you need to rash out, you don't need to go about it alone. " Stefan looked up, and Elena followed his eyes. Then it hit her that Stefan was indicating that he thought she needed time to rash out her feelings for Damon. He wasn't exactly _wrong _in his presumption.

"Yes I do," Elena countered and Stefan nodded in response. He stood up just when Damon descended the stairs. He wasn't wearing a shirt and was slowly descending the stairs with mussed up hair, probably caused by Elena's fingers running through his hair. Elena temporarily lost herself, remembering what it felt like to run her hands over his body and feel his lips against hers. Elena wondered if he appeared like this to torture her on purpose.

Stefan watched Elena watch Damon and felt a pang of jealousy because during the entire duration of their relationship Elena had never looked at him like that. Stefan knew that Elena had feelings for Damon, but he wasn't sure if he realized the extent to which they existed.

"Ohhhh, Elena," Damon purred. He leaned against the edge of the couch and dropped Elena's cellphone on to her lap, "You forgot something."

Elena glared at Damon with wide eyes, fearing that Stefan would find out about their nighttime activities. But, she quickly backpedaled.

"Oh, thanks," Elena said, picking up her cell and looking at the screen, "Where did you find it?"

"On the table in the upstairs hallway," Damon lied and Elena mentally sighed in relief. She felt Stefan relax next to her.

"What are you doing today, brother?" Stefan asked.

"Stealing your girlfriend," Damon said matter-of-factly. Elena felt like time stopped and she felt her heart beat quicken in fear. _There's that impulsive side of Damon again_, Elena thought.

"Hmm, okay," Stefan said. Elena looked at him questioningly and when she saw the expression on his face, it occurred to her that Stefan thought Damon was just being his typical cocky self. And it would make sense. Elena remembered back to all the times that Damon referred to Elena in front of Stefan as "our girlfriend" and realized that the only reason she was nervous by his statement was because it now held truth. "But what are you _actually_ going to be doing?" Stefan asked.

Damon smiled his cocky half smile and shrugged his shoulders.

"Spend some quality time with my bourbon. I might do some digging on the Mikaelson ball, just to see if it's all safe for our girlfriend to attend." Damon replied.

"Alright," Stefan stood back up and grabbed his backpack again, "If you get yourself into any trouble, call me or Caroline or something and we'll help out."

Damon nodded in recognition and together, Damon and Elena watched as Stefan left the house. They remained still until they heard Stefan get on his motorcycle and leave down the driveway.

**AN: Well, obviously, this was a transition chapter. It will improve. I just needed to set up some stuff. It was originally going to be included in a bigger chapter, but the chapter ended up being like 3000+ words and that's a lot to trudge through for a reader, so I decided to split it up. **

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. I tend to post chapters after three reviews. Enjoy this chapter and good luck with the hiatus!**


	9. Interrupted

As soon as it was safe, Damon jumped on to the couch and pinned Elena under his body. He hovered only an inch above her lips and Elena impatiently waited for him to make the first move. But he didn't, he just hovered there and stared at her, teasing her with his closeness until Elena couldn't take it anymore. She quickly joined their lips and placed her hands on his bare back. She felt his muscles flex with each movement under her fingertips and she moaned against his mouth.

Damon ran his outer hand down the Elena's side. He traced over the curve of her waist and then stopped on her thigh. Elena's body immediately responded when she felt Damon gently tug on her leg. She hiked her leg up and around Damon and used the leverage to pull him closer to her. She began kissing down his neck and Damon growled deep in his throat.

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" A sly British accent spoke from the archway. Elena broke the kiss and turned around under Damon to see Klaus with his smugly laughing eyes.

"It's called knocking, Klaus," Damon got up and protectively stood in between Elena and the Original hybrid.

"My bad, I can see you were…preoccupied," Klaus said, eyeing the two, "Rebekah did tell me that you two were together now, but I thought it was some attention-seeking rumor. She is fickle like that. But, I can see now that she was in fact, telling the truth." Klaus smiled suggestively.

"We're not together, actually," Elena stood up next to Damon who gave her a side glance; as if he was making sure that she was still completely safe.

"Oh really?" Klaus asked, "So, we've got ourselves a little scandal now?" Elena narrowed her eyes at him and Damon gritted his teeth angrily.

"What are you doing here, Klaus?" Elena asked.

"I was just wondering if we are getting the pleasure of your company at the ball tomorrow," Klaus inquired, "I had assumed that you and Stefan would be attending together, but now I'm unsure. Is that still the case?"

"Yes," Elena said, "But Damon's coming, too."

"Hmm…I seem to recall another girl who used to do the exact same thing to the Salvatore brothers. You two actually look quite similar," Klaus hinted, smugly smiling.

"I'm nothing like Katherine." Elena stated.

"If you say so," Klaus countered. He paused and scanned her body before speaking again, "How about your lovely friend Caroline? Has she said anything about attending?"

"No," Elena responded, "Not to me, at least."

"What's the deal with this ball, anyway?" Damon interrupted, trying to uncover the real reason behind the dance.

"Can't we just have a normal, civilized ball without some big underlying scheme?" Klaus questioned.

"No, actually, we can't," Damon said sarcastically, "So what's the deal?"

"Ah, you got me," Klaus laughed and shrugged his shoulders sarcastically. "Well, if you must know…there's a little something, or rather, someone that I have to retrieve from the Other Side. And I require some doppelganger to perform the spell."

"Well, you can't have her." Damon said, placing his hand instinctively on Elena's arm.

"I can, and I will," Klaus stated, "But none of that matters unless I can lure back your little doppelganger buddy." Elena's eyes widened and she stepped forward.

"Katherine?" Elena asked, suddenly confused, "But why?"

"Unfortunately, I need two doppelgangers for this particular spell. And luckily for you, love," Klaus referred to Elena, "The best way to bring our lovable Katerina home happens to be with the one thing that she's always wanted, but could never have…" Klaus began and Elena immediately caught onto what he was suggesting.

"Stefan…"

"But what would make Katerina decide _now_ to come and retrieve the love of her life?" Klaus rhetorically asked, "None other than the announcement of an engagement."

"No," Elena gasped.

"What?!" Damon exclaimed, "No way!"

"Sorry to disappoint you lovers, but it's the only way…because if there's one thing that Katerina Petrova wants more than Stefan Salvatore, it's ruining your life," Klaus gestured towards Elena, "And this gives her an opportunity to do both."

Elena stood frozen in shock next to the man that she loved and wanted more than anything. She had finally made her decision and was so close to fully obtaining the man that held all her happiness, but Klaus barred her from it. Instinctively at the thought of losing Damon, Elena entwined her fingers in his and squeezed his hand. Klaus watched the gesture and smiled his typical wicked smile.

"Is this actually more than just _lust_?" Klaus asked, raising his eyebrows. He crossed his arms, "Is there any way that you've fallen _in love_ with this vampire, Elena?"

Elena did love Damon, but it occurred to her that she hadn't actually told Damon yet. She figured that now, in front of Klaus, was probably not the best time to let him know, so she skirted around the question.

"What if I say no? What if I refuse to lure Katherine back to Mystic Falls?"

"I get it. Now that you're a vampire you think you're invincible." Klaus's voice lowered and became threatening. "But remember that you are in the presence of the most powerful creature on Earth, and I can hurt you and everyone you love as quickly as _this._" Klaus ran over and within a millisecond, he snapped Damon's neck and Damon fell to the group in a heap. Elena dropped to her knees next to him and pulled his head into her arms. She looked up at Klaus with angry eyes.

"If I get engaged to Stefan, you will never hurt Damon." Elena negotiated.

"Wow. You're willing to sacrifice your future for the life of _Damon_?" Klaus asked, spitting out the last word as though it were some poison.

"Yes," Elena said without thinking, "But only if you give me your word that you will _never _hurt Damon."

"I can't guarantee that, love." Klaus said, "Your boyfriend can get pretty annoying. But I can give you my word that I will never _kill _Damon."

"Deal," Elena conceded. She would do anything to keep Damon alive, even if it meant forsaking her own happiness.

"Glad we could reach an agreement," Klaus walked away from her and stopped at the front door, "And if you would really rather not marry the younger Salvatore, although I don't know why you wouldn't, that's fine. Just convince Katerina that you are engaged. I need her in town long enough for this spell to happen, and I need her here by her own free will. That's the annoying part of the ritual." Klaus left, closing the door behind him. Elena nodded in understanding, and with the opening he gave her to fake the engagement, she felt a little hope reenter her heart.

* * *

"Elena?" Damon slowly rose from the couch that she had placed him on. He had been out for about three hours. At the sound of his movement and voice, Elena rushed over to his side and kneeled next to him.

"Damon! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Where'd that little bastard run off to?" Damon stood up slowly and Elena stood up with him.

"He left," Elena said. She took Damon's face between her hands and turned his face towards her. "Damon…"

"Oh, Elena…" Damon read her expression. He'd seen the same face on her many times in the past; it was her martyr-face. "You didn't!"

"He was going to kill you, Damon!" Elena argued.

"I don't care, Elena!" Damon countered, "I'd rather be dead than watch you walk down the aisle with my baby brother!" Elena silently stared at Damon. She knew that he was just hurting.

"We can fake it, Damon," Elena reassured, "Klaus just wants us to convince Katherine that it's happening, long enough to get her and keep her in town." She watched as Damon's face relaxed and he looked at her with his electric blue eyes.

"I'm sorry that you have to do this," Damon whispered, resting his hand under her hair on her neck.

"I don't care," Elena whispered back, "I don't care because in the end I'll be with you."

"What about this person that Klaus is trying to bring back from the Other Side?" Damon asked, his brow knitting together in worry yet again. Elena traced her fingers over the creases on his forehead and instantly his face relaxed. She was looking at him with so much love and adoration.

"That's not our problem. Not right now."

"It's always our problem, Elena," Damon insisted and Elena shook her head 'no.'

"We can worry about that later," Elena rested her hands on Damon's neck and gently massaged the back of his neck.

"You never answered Klaus's question," Damon pointed out and Elena smiled.

"I know," She said. Damon stood expectantly, waiting for her to say something else. Instead, Elena walked closer to him until her whole body was braced against his. After all, Damon had always been Elena's brace, both metaphorically and literally.

"Damon," Elena whispered. She rested her forehead against his, "I love you."

Damon smiled as he listened to her say those three words to him for the first time.

"I love you, Damon." Elena repeated.

He was so overwhelmed that the only response he could muster was trapping her lips in a gentle, long kiss.

* * *

**A/N: So, she told him. Anyway, please review! It's really appreciated and helps me decide whether or not/when to post the next update. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Lies and Hypocrisy

Damon and Elena were in his room, tangled up on his bed kissing when they heard the front door open and people enter the house.

Voices drifted up to their ears and they stopped, dead-still. Their lips were still locked together, but they were no longer moving. Elena's eyes were wide because she feared being caught, but she couldn't bring herself to break from his lips.

_"I still think we should tell her,"_ Caroline's voice hit Elena's ears. Out of surprise, she broke the kiss with Damon.

"Is that Caroline?" Elena whispered in shock. Damon nodded and pressed his forefinger against her lips to silence her. Elena nodded in understanding. She didn't want to be overheard by Caroline while she was with Damon. Although, she would have preferred that he silence her with a kiss instead of his finger.

_"She can never know, Care," _Stefan responded to Caroline and Elena looked at Damon with suspicion and curiosity. Damon cocked his head to the side wondering the same thing as Elena.

_"I can't keep lying to her! She's my best friend." _

_"How I hear it, you've just been ignoring her."_

_"Well, I can't keep doing that. She deserves to know the truth." _Caroline argued with Stefan.

_"Yes, she deserves the truth."_

_"Then I'll tell her?" _Caroline asked.

_"No!" _Stefan responded immediately.

_"Stefan!"_

_"I don't know, Caroline." _Stefan paused, _"I feel like she's hiding something from me." _

"Baby brother's intuitive," Damon shrugged, "What a twist." Elena chuckled a little.

_"Like what?"_ Caroline asked.

_"Like Damon. I see the way she looks at him…the way she touches him. She's practically fawning over him."_

"Well, he's not wrong," Elena whispered to Damon. He smiled and kissed her shortly, but tenderly. She groaned in annoyance when he broke from her lips. She wanted all of him.

_"No!" _Caroline exclaimed, _"Not Damon…and Elena…no! That's just!…he's just!….ew."_

"Well that's just rude." Damon said, a little too loudly.

_"Is that Damon?"_ Caroline asked.

_"Oh yeah! I forgot he was home…" _Stefan responded.

"Woops, caught." Damon said. He stood up and held out his hand to help Elena out of bed. She took it graciously and the moment her feet hit the floor, she fell against Damon.

"Woops, fell." Elena flirtatiously eyed him.

"Yeah, sure ya did." Damon joked, pulling her off of him. He looked at her smiling face and smiled down at her. She was happy. And she was happy because of him.

Elena turned around walked through the hallway and down the stairs. Damon caught up with her. As they descended, Caroline and Stefan became visible, standing and talking in the main room where Damon and Elena met for the first time for the second time.

At the sight of Damon and Elena, Stefan and Caroline stopped talking and gave them suspicious looks.

"Elena?" Stefan asked, "I thought you were taking an alone day?" Caroline raised her eyebrows at Elena.

"I was. That was until Klaus decided to pay a visit."

"Klaus?!" Stefan asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes at the sound of the hybrid's name and Elena internally laughed. She had seen Caroline do the same thing many times before—she was attracted to Klaus.

"Yeah," Elena said, "And he told us some stuff—his 'master plan' for lack of a better word."

"And?" Caroline asked. Together, Damon and Elena filled Caroline and Stefan in on the conversation with Klaus, excluding the controversial parts.

"So, we have to get engaged?" Stefan inquired, still trying to wrap his head around the concept.

"Yes," Elena responded. She watched Stefan's expression; he was joyed at the thought, but disappointed with the circumstances and Elena realized that she should probably clarify her intentions with the deal, "But, Stefan…I'm only eighteen. I don't want to get engaged."

"I know," Stefan said understandingly.

"So, we'll just fake it?"

"Fine," Stefan agreed. He obviously wasn't overjoyed about the whole situation.

Elena's interactions with Stefan recently were contrived and awkward; all the fluff had disappeared from their relationship. She looked between the three other people in the room and her eyes lingered on Damon. She became conscious about her glued eyes and quickly looked down. A faint blush crawled across her cheeks.

Everyone in the room noticed her awkward attempt at concealing her fondness. Noticing the sudden change in Elena, Stefan decided to confront her about it. He had enough of the secrecy, but his timing was not great.

"Elena, are you and Damon sleeping together?" Stefan asked straightforwardly. His stance was defensive and he stared her down. Elena was startled by the sudden confrontation and stood dumbstruck for a moment before speaking. Damon and Caroline awkwardly shuffled their feet as they watched the event unfold before their eyes.

"What?" Elena paused, still in shock, "No! Stefan, why would you think that?"

"I'm not stupid, Elena. You promised me that you would be open with me!"

"And I am!" Elena exclaimed. She didn't know why she was getting so upset about the confrontation because she honestly did deserve it. "Damon and I have not slept together!"

"Thank God," Caroline whispered and Damon glared at her from the side..

"So you two _aren't_ sleeping together?" Stefan asked. Damon and Elena nodded together in confirmation. "Has there been anything else between you two?"

Elena felt awkward having this discussion in front of the judgmental Caroline and the easily hurt Damon.

"You know of my past with him," Elena said timidly.

"But after the truth or dare incident?" Stefan asked. Elena took a moment to think: if she told Stefan the truth about her and Damon, she risked destroying Klaus's plan and losing Damon permanently; if she lied, she'd feel guilty and possibly lose Stefan entirely. Elena hated having to make the decisions, but in the end, her choice was obvious.

"Nothing since then," She looked Stefan directly in the eyes as she lied.

"Really?' Stefan pushed further and Elena crossed her arms.

"Are you really_ that_ distrusting of me?!" Elena fumed. She walked over to Damon and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Would you prefer it this way?!"

"No! Obviously not!"

"Then, why are you so adamant on your accusations?!" Elena unclasped her hands and stepped back from Damon. "You're awfully quick to presume when I know that you're hiding something from me!" She watched as Stefan and Caroline's faces tightened.

"What do you mean?" Stefan played innocence and Elena rolled her eyes at his blatant lie. She wasn't much better than him on the lying front, but she was still angry. Probably more because of the way he had been treating her recently—broke and wrong.

"We overheard your conversation when you came home," Elena said, "What can't you tell Elena? By all means…enlighten me."

Stefan and Caroline both stared at Elena with the same expression—guilt.

She remained still, staring them down and waiting for one of them to speak up. After a while of silence, Elena glanced between Damon and the front door.

"Damon?" Elena broke the silence.

"Yes, Elena?" Damon asked, standing comfortably with his arms crossed. It seemed like nothing that just happened fazed him.

"Can we—?" Elena gestured towards the door and Damon immediately caught on to what she was saying.

"Yeah, of course," Damon took two quick strides to the side table and grabbed his keys. Elena began walking to the door. As she passed Damon, he instinctively rested his hand on her lower back. Stefan and Caroline watched as the two left the house. They knew that if they tried to stop them, Elena would just leave quicker.

Once Damon and Elena reached the Camaro, they jumped in and Damon revved up the engine. He was about to pull out of the driveway when Elena grabbed his hand.

"Thank you," Elena said and Damon smiled.

"Anything for you, Miss Gilbert."

"I feel so guilty!" Elena leaned back exasperated.

"Why?"

"You know why," Elena said, turning to Damon. She sighed and brushed her bangs out of her face, "I don't have the right to get mad at Stefan because he's accusing me of being with you because I _am _with you!"

"Take a little something from my handbook, Elena," He turned to his side to fully face her, "Never feel guilty about something that makes you happy."

"I don't feel guilty about loving you, or being happy with you," Elena clarified, "I feel guilty about lying."

"But, for a good reason." Damon stated and Elena sighed. He had once again won her over and she was tired of arguing. "Where to?"

"Anywhere away from here," Elena shrugged.

"Your wish is my command," Damon leaned back in his seat. He turned his head towards her and did his eye-thing. Elena always had a lot of trouble controlling herself when he did that, but now she wasn't sure she could hold back.

She leaned over and pulled him down to her lips, expecting only to briefly kiss him, but she got infatuated in the kiss and slyly crawled over to where he was. She straddled his hips. Damon placed his hands on her side. Elena grabbed his hands and pushed them down to her waist, showing him what she wanted. Damon pulled her closer to him and she began undoing the buttons on his shirt.

No matter how much Damon wanted to fulfill her desires, he knew that Elena was on unstable ground after her argument with Stefan. He knew her morals and wanted to give her one last out. He broke the kiss.

"Elena," He whispered breathlessly, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Elena nodded eagerly.

"I know what I want," She whispered back, "I want you, and I want you now."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Review, review, review! :)**


	11. Lovers Quarrel

Elena had often fantasized about the first time she would be able fully give herself to Damon, and actually being with him had drastically surpassed her expectations. It was like being in a storm—an odd sense of comfort and a strange form of beauty along with the exhilarating rush of impending danger.

It had admittedly been an ill-conceived spontaneous decision to sleep with Damon right outside the boarding house filled with nosy vampires who could not know about her and Damon. But, at the moment she didn't care; the only thing she cared about was his beautiful blue eyes and beautifully sculpted body.

After Damon and Elena were done and dressed, Elena leaned back against the passenger seat of the car, winded in her post-bliss haze. She turned her head and when she made eye contact with Damon, she subconsciously smiled.

"How you feeling?" Damon asked, brushing back a strand of her hair.

"Amazing," Elena mumbled, still gently smirking.

"I tend to have that effect on people," Damon responded with a smug smile and Elena chuckled. She blew out a puff of air and snuggled up against the seat. "So…should we just go back inside?" Elena immediately shook her head.

"No," She contested, "I want you to take me away."

"Georgia?" Damon smirked at her and Elena laughed.

"Maybe now's not the time for that long of a trip," She paused, momentarily thinking. Then, it hit her. She knew exactly where she wanted to go.

* * *

Elena walked ahead of Damon. Her hair was tied up into a tight ponytail that bounced with each step. She knew where her destination was and walked with determination. Her footsteps were leaving a trail of light green where they disturbed the grass that bore her weight. When Elena reached that dreaded place, she sunk to her knees. Damon walked up and stood behind her in silence.

"I haven't visited here in two years," Elena stated, running her fingertips over the carved letters on the headstone. They read: _Here lies Miranda and Grayson Gilbert. Loving parents. _"I shouldn't have waited so long. I just got so consumed with my life."

Elena turned around to look at Damon who was standing solemnly, letting her have her moment. She held out her hand to him and he grabbed it. She pulled him down to her and settled up against his chest. His legs were on either side of her and his arms were around her waist.

Elena looked at the headstone next to her parents: _Here lies Alaric Saltzman. Selfless guardian. _She always found it so odd how people with so many accomplishments all boil down to a few words carved in stone, left to the mercy of the elements.

Damon noticed her eyes wander to his previous best friend's tomb. He never liked getting emotional about the dead; he never liked thinking of them or visiting them. He found the whole act to be ridiculous and contrived, but Elena held value in it, so he did too.

Elena toyed with the denim of Damon's jeans mindlessly as she got consumed in her own thoughts. Everything was so still. For the first time in forever, her life was quiet and simple enough that she actually had time to think. Just a year back, her thoughts would've been a blur of nonsense, but now, as she was held by Damon, everything seemed a little less dizzying to her.

The memory of all her friends (specifically Caroline and Stefan's) opinion on Elena after she had turned resurfaced out of the confines of her mind.

"Do you think I'm broken?" Elena quietly asked Damon. She felt Damon tighten his grip on her.

"Never," Damon whispered with his mouth right next to her ear. His breath tickled her neck and she shivered. She exhaled, leaning more into him when hearing his response. They sat silently again, looking at the remaining marks of all the people Elena had lost. She'd had too many funerals in her eighteen years.

Often times, Stefan asked Elena if she wanted to visit her parents' grave with him and every time she denied. She couldn't explain why she refused to go and she couldn't explain why she wanted to go with Damon, so she stopped trying.

"Damon…" Elena began. She caressed his hands against her stomach. She knew what she wanted to say to him, she just wasn't sure how to say it. The thought of having this conversation with Damon sickened her, but she felt it necessary.

"Yes, Elena?" Damon interrupted her reverie.

"I need to talk to you—."

"That's never a good start." Damon stated. Elena sighed.

"I just need to talk to you" Elena repeated, turning around to look at him, "I..." She hesitated, swooning at the love apparent in his eyes, "I don't know if we should do this." Elena watched as the joy faded from Damon's façade and pain moved back into his icy blue eyes.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked her, just as he did after she pulled away from his touch in Denver.

"I'm trying to protect you," Elena argued. She tightened her grip on his hand, but he didn't return the squeeze. At the sudden coldness, Elena felt worried and empty. She knew that Damon wouldn't take her proposition well, but she didn't even momentarily consider that he would dismiss her like so.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Elena?!" Damon stood up quickly and stepped back from Elena, "_Stop trying to protect me._" Damon said each with precise clarity. Elena stood up to confront Damon, just as she had done many times before.

"I'm never going to do that, Damon!" Elena was right up in Damon's face, refusing to let him pull away from her.

"Why?!"

"Because I loveyou!" She shouted. Her voice echoed across the graveyard and an eerie silence fell. Damon just stood staring at her. He loved every bit of her, even the part that viewed herself as the martyr. He didn't think his life was worth any bit of her sacrifice, but somehow she decided that he was worth saving, and he loved that about her.

"I'm not getting why we can't just be together." Damon questioned.

"I need to convince Katherine that I'm helplessly in love with the Salvatore that I'm not in love with. I can barely convince my friends, let alone Katherine Petrova!"

"So, you think that by breaking…whatever this is off, you're suddenly going to lose your feelings for me and convince everyone that Stefan is _the one_?" Damon mocked and crossed his arms across his chest. Elena scoffed and looked away, gently shaking her head.

"No," Elena admitted.

"Then answer me this," Damon closed the distance between him and Elena. He framed her face with his hands and gently turned her head to look at him, "Are you trying to protect me and your friends, or are you actually trying to protect yourself?"

Elena was stunned silent. A little part of her knew that she was self-sabotaging. She knew that the thing she wanted most in this world was Damon, but somewhere deep within her, she couldn't bring herself to fully be with him.

Maybe that was because she had spent so much of her recent life in grief that she didn't remember how to be happy. And the thought of finding happiness in Damon terrified her.

Damon took her chin between his forefinger and thumb and gently tilted her head up. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. He stood still, kissing her slowly, but fully.

After he pulled away, Elena slowly opened her eyes. She gulped and exhaled. She looked him over and when she met his eyes, Damon realized that his efforts were futile.

"So, you're actually going through with this." Damon stated. Elena knitted her brows together and clasped her hands into tight fists, as if this could keep her heart from breaking. She nodded slowly.

"Yes," She choked out. Damon watched her silently.

"I'm not even going to pretend that your logic is actually logical." Damon stated snarkily and Elena broke eye contact with him ashamedly. "I'll give you a ride home." He said and Elena shook her head.

"Don't," Elena asked. Her eyes pleaded with him because she knew that if she was alone in a car with him, she would quickly go back on her decision.

"Fine." Damon said. He turned around, "See you around, Elena," Damon said, colder than he intended it to be.

He was done playing games with her. She wanted him, she loved him and he felt the same way about her. It should be simple, but things never seemed to be simple for them.

Elena watched in silence as he left. The moment he disappeared from her sight she fell to her knees with tears brimming in her eyes. The pain in her chest became overwhelming and the empty hole in her heart became deeper, and she began to immediately question whether or not she made the right choice by sending the man she loved away.

**AN: Sorry it took so long to update. Oh well, I thought that Delena wouldn't be Delena without a little self-sabotage and lovers quarrel. Please ****_review_****!**


	12. The Wrong Salvatore

Elena sat silently on the green grass of the graveyard. Her tears had dried on her cheeks, leaving a stale trail of salt from the bottom of her eyes to her chin. She didn't know how long she had just sat like that, but it must have been a while because the sun was setting.

A white Prius pulled up behind Elena on the road that ran through the graveyard. Elena heard the car approach, but she didn't move. She just stared blankly at her parents' grave.

Bonnie rolled down her window and leaned her head out of the car.

"Elena!" Bonnie shouted. Elena turned around at the sound of her friend's voice.

"How did you know I was here?" Elena asked, wiping the back of her hand against her face in an attempt to clean off the remnants of her heartbreak.

"Damon texted me and told me to pick you up here." Bonnie responded, "He didn't tell me why." Elena was awed by the explanation. It seemed Damon would always watch out for her, even after what she did to him.

Elena nodded in response and turned back to the headstones.

"Elena…" Bonnie got out of the car and walked over to her; she kneelt down next to Elena and looked at her face concernedly, "Are you okay?" Elena shook her head. "What's wrong?"

Elena slowly turned her head up to look at Bonnie.

"I did something stupid," Elena responded.

"What did you do?" Bonnie asked tucking her arm in Elena's comfortingly. Elena sighed and internally weighed consequences. She was done lying to everyone about her feelings for Damon; she was done with bottling everything up. She was sick of always being so selfless.

"Oh God," Elena said with a little anxious chuckle, "Where do I start?"

"How about from the beginning?" Bonnie helped Elena up and began walking her back to her car. "We'll go get some ice cream." Elena smiled at the generosity and got into the passenger seat. Bonnie got into the driver's seat and began driving out of the graveyard.

Elena took a deep breath before she began because what she was about to tell Bonnie was going to be hard.

"A couple of days ago," Elena began and Bonnie nodded, indicating that she was listening, "I sorta, maybe, started sneaking around with Damon."

Bonnie slammed on her brakes and turned to Elena in shock. Her mouth dropped open and she raised her eyebrows. Elena braced herself against the dashboard. She was thankful that she was a vampire now because otherwise she probably would've had a bruised collarbone.

"What?!" Bonnie asked loudly.

"Yeah…" Elena said, "It was so unlike me!" Elena declared and Bonnie slowly nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, why did you do it?" Bonnie asked, beginning to drive again.

"Because I, stupidly, fell in love with him," Elena said hesitantly. Bonnie inhaled deeply and Elena could practically see her biting her tongue. "Go ahead, say it."

"Damon is a terrible person, Elena," Bonnie stated and Elena tensed up.

"He's really not," Elena refuted and Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, choosing not to argue with her.

"How far have you two gone?" Bonnie asked. Elena looked out the window in silence. Bonnie noticed her silence and put two-and-two together, "Wow…okay."

"I know," Elena said.

"So…" Bonnie raised her eyebrows and looked at Elena, "How was it?"

Elena blushed.

"That good?!" Bonnie joked and Elena smiled.

"I assume you know about the whole Katherine-Klaus situation?" Elena asked, changing the subject.

Bonnie nodded and said, "Yeah, Stefan filled me in."

"Well, I ended it with Damon because of it." Bonnie tried to understand what Elena was saying.

"Because of Katherine?"

"Yeah," Elena said, "Well, maybe."

"Maybe?" Bonnie was officially extremely confused by Elena.

"I think I might just be trying to push him away," Elena explained, "To protect myself." Bonnie nodded in understanding.

"Hah!" She let out a little laugh and Elena looked at Bonnie with a smile.

"What?"

"I just… find it kind of funny that your self-sabotaging." Bonnie shrugged, "Makes me think that you and Damon might just be perfect for each other." Elena smiled giddily, but the smile was quickly wiped away at the memory of her fight with Damon.

"Do you think I made the right decision by ending it with Damon?"

"How do you feel now that you're not with him?" Bonnie asked.

"Horrible," Elena immediately responded.

"Then you probably made the wrong decision," Bonnie said, "It's that easy."

"But Katherine and Klaus—?"

"Right. Since when do you let Katherine and Klaus dictate your decisions?"

Elena was silent. She had always been a pawn in Katherine and Klaus's games, yet she's always somehow managed to keep her dignity.

"I can't convince everyone that I'm with Stefan when I'm with Damon. I've tried that, and it did not work. I had a falling out with Caroline and Stefan this morning. They suspect something. Not to mention that it's just wrong to lie about something like that."

Bonnie glanced at Elena in the rearview mirror. Just then, Elena's phone lit up with a new text message. It was from Klaus.

It read: _I look forward to the public announcement of your engagement at tomorrow's festivities. I'd be surprised if Katerina hasn't already heard. Congratulations. I hope you two are very happy._

Elena read the message out loud to Bonnie and together they spited Klaus's blatant attempt to hurt Elena.

Tomorrow, it would be announced that she was supposedly due to marry Stefan, the wrong Salvatore, and she dreaded every bit of it.

* * *

**A/N: Please review! Thanks for reading. Happy two weekiverasy of the hiatus!**


	13. Risking it All

Elena arrived fashionably late to the Mikaelson Ball. She was wearing a coral ball gown with light orange sparkles crawling up the skirt. It fell perfectly at her waist, emphasizing just the right parts of her body. She had her hair half up, half down and curled.

"You look stunning this evening," Stefan approached her and she politely smiled at him. But that's all it was, polite.

"Thank you," She said formally. He held out his arm to her and Elena took it. He led her through the party.

"Is Damon here?" Elena inquired, her eyes scanning the room for her blue-eyed, black-haired vampire.

"I don't know," Stefan said stiffly. "I haven't seen him since yesterday. Do you know why that is?"

"We got into an argument," Elena informed him. Stefan straightened up and looked at Elena.

"Over what?"

"I—," Elena halted her sentence when her eyes fell on the person she had secretly longed to see. He was standing, sipping on a glass of amber liquid, engaged in a conversation with none other than Rebekah Mikaelson.

Elena forgot about Stefan and everything else. She just mindlessly began walking towards Damon.

Eventually she reached him; he was listening to Rebekah talk about something that he obviously didn't remotely care about. The moment Elena was standing next to him, he turned all his attention to her.

"I thought you wouldn't come," Elena said.

"You know me, can't miss a good party," Damon responded with a smirk.

Elena just stared at him and he stared back at her. He cocked his head to the side, noticing the look she was giving him and wondering what was going on in her mind.

"Well, this is awkward," Rebekah said, snapping Elena from her trance. She looked at the blonde vampire and was about to make some sassy remark when Klaus called the attention of the party to him for an announcement.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming this evening," Klaus greeted from the stairwell. Everyone clapped momentarily in response, "Now, the point of this ball is not only to welcome a new year, but also to celebrate love." The party fell silent in contemplation. Elena looked at Damon who knew what Klaus was about to say, and he angrily took a swig from his drink. "I'd like to personally congratulate two dear friends of mine on the announcement of their engagement—Stefan Salvatore and Elena Gilbert."

The crowd burst into applause of congratulations and heads turned towards Elena. She politely smiled and mouthed 'thanks' even though her heart was hurting. She looked around the room for Stefan, but she couldn't find him anywhere, so she quickly let it go.

"Anyway, it is tradition that we have our opening dance of the evening, so would everyone please grab a partner and join us in the ballroom." Klaus said and everyone began filing out of the main room. Elena waited for Damon to ask her to dance, but he just stood, sipping his drink. He glanced down at her.

"Well, aren't you going to find your fiancé?" Damon asked. The cold words washed over Elena and she felt her heart clench.

"I'd rather dance with you," Elena said.

Damon raised his eyebrows, momentarily thinking. He eventually shrugged and held out his hand to her. He mindlessly gave Rebekah his drink. Rebekah sassily popped her hip out in rebellion, but Damon ignored her.

Elena took his hand and the moment their skin touched she felt like she could finally exhale and relax. Damon led her out to the dance floor and spun her around. He caught her by the waist and pulled her close to him. Elena took a sharp intake of breath, surprised once again by Damon's sly moves.

The music began playing. The song was _All of Me_ by John Legend. Damon began swaying Elena around the dance floor and she focused on the blue of his eyes to maintain composure.

_What would I do without your smart mouth?  
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out  
You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down  
What's going on in that beautiful mind  
I'm on your magical mystery ride  
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright._

The lyrics resonated with Elena. They were so accurate to her situation with Damon that she practically felt like Damon was singing to her. Damon spun Elena and caught her once again.

_My head's under water  
But I'm breathing fine  
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind_

Elena thought of the mess that she got herself into by falling in love with Damon. She thought of all the struggles they've endured, yet they somehow always managed to come out on top.

_'Cause all of me  
Loves all of you  
Love your curves and all your edges  
All your perfect imperfections  
Give your all to me  
I'll give my all to you  
You're my end and my beginning  
Even when I lose I'm winning_

Damon had always been there for Elena, had always accepted her when no one else did. And she had a great habit of pushing him away. She felt guilt overrun her emotions. She rested her head on Damon's shoulder as he gently rocked her around the room.

_Give me all of you  
Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts  
Risking it all, though it's hard_

Elena knew three things: she wanted Damon, she loved Damon, and nothing she could do would change that. Being away from him had almost made her feelings for him more apparent.

"Damon," Elena whispered again his chest.

"What?" Damon asked, adjusting his position so he could hold her more securely.

"I'm sorry," She said. Damon tightened his grip on her.

"I know," He said, "But if you're trying to keep us secret, you're doing a poor job of it."

"I don't care," Elena said, and in that moment, she didn't.

She had missed him too much; she didn't care about the confused looks that the other people at the party were giving them. She didn't care about the stares and the suspicions. In that moment, she only cared about reconciling her relationship with Damon. She still feared Klaus and knew that she had to convince Katherine, but she also knew that she could do everything better and appear stronger with Damon by her side.

"Damon," Elena leaned her head up to where she could whisper directly in his ear, "I want you."

"You've got me, Elena," Damon said. He had promised himself that he wouldn't go to her easily, he had promised himself that this time he would make her fight for him the way he fought for her. But listening to the pleas of the women he loved made him putty in her hands. He was always weak when it came to the love of a woman.

"No, Damon. I want you. All of you. Right now." She whispered and Damon's eyes widened with understanding.

"Now?"

"Right now."

Damon nodded and stepped back from Elena. He let go of her hands and formally bowed.

"Meet me outside." Damon whispered, standing up from his bow. Elena curtsied and nodded her head in understanding. Her eyes glowed wickedly with desire, although her composure feigned formality.

Damon turned from her and walked away. The moment he left out the front doors, Elena gathered her skirts and began following him out.

As she passed, people gave Elena congratulations on her engagement to Stefan and she nodded and politely gave her thanks. She had only one thing in mind, and he was waiting for her right outside.

The moment she silently slipped out the doors of the mansion, Damon caught her by the waist and spun her to face him. Elena let out a little squeak of joy and surprise as he did so, but he quickly cut off her voice by capturing her lips in his own. Elena melted into the kiss and impatiently pushed off Damon's tuxedo jacket.

Damon deepened the kiss and their tender loving care turned into a fumble of passion as Elena desperately tried to remove pieces of Damon's clothing.

He broke from the kiss and breathlessly whispered, "Here's not the right place." Damon gestured to the fact that they were still standing on the front porch and Elena groaned in annoyance.

"I need you now, Damon." Elena began unbuttoning his shirt, but he stopped her hands.

"And you'll get me," Damon said, clasping her hands in his own, "But not right here."

"Where?" Elena asked hurriedly, feeling the ache of her desire burning even more feverishly across her body.

"I've got an idea," Damon said. He bent down and grabbed Elena's legs. He tossed her over his shoulder and Elena gasped in surprise.

She laughed as Damon carried her in the direction of the forest that bordered the house, her hands pushed up against Damon's back to hold herself up.

She kissed every part of his body that her lips could reach—his back, his ear, his neck, the top of his head—pausing in between kisses to tell him, "I love you. I'm so sorry. I'm never giving up on us again. I've been so stupid. I'm sorry. I love you, Damon."

**AN: Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	14. Escaping Reality

Damon was holding Elena gently, but firmly; her legs were wrapped around his waist. He was supporting all of her weight.

Her back arched against the tree; she felt the bark dig into her shoulder blades, but it wasn't painful because she was too encapsulated in Damon. Elena clasped Damon's deltoid in her hand, squeezing hard.

"Elena," Damon whispered against her neck.

"Mmm?" Elena grunted in response, too blissed out to form even the simplest of words.

"Look at me," He demanded and Elena quickly complied. She placed her hands on his hair and pulled his head back to look full on. Once her eyes met with the blue of his, she became overwhelmed with everything: hormones, lust, love, respect, appreciation.

Elena's body slowly stilled and Damon gently dropped her to her feet.

She didn't trust her legs. Luckily, she was still pinned between Damon and the tree. If she wasn't, she probably would've collapsed onto the forest floor.

Damon was staring at her, watching her intently, and she never broke eye contact with him. She felt everything of their past swell up between them like a tidal wave.

The emotion she weld by being so physically close to him was almost enough to make her cry; not because she was sad, but because she was in love.

Tears welled up in the bottom of her eyes. Damon noticed the sudden salt water and brushed away her tears with his thumb.

"Hey now," He spoke in his soft, comforting voice, "I can't have been _that _bad."

Elena smiled and let out a quick laugh at his joke.

"Actually, you're the worst I've ever had," Elena played along. She laughed a bit more and Damon smiled. He brushed her bottom lip with his thumb.

"This was incredibly stupid on our part," He stated and Elena nodded in agreement.

"That seems to be a pattern when it comes to us." Elena laughed. Damon watched her laugh. He had never seen her as happy as she was when she was with him. He loved the fact that he could take away some of the pain that haunted her.

He bent down and kissed her, cutting off her laughs. She moaned against his lips and grabbed the lapel of his jacket, pulling him closer to her.

_"Well, where is she?!"_ Elena heard Caroline's voice moving towards the woods. She quickly broke from Damon's lips and pulled him behind a large oak trunk. Now out of visibility, she connected their lips once again.

She didn't want to be caught, but she didn't want to leave.

A little part of her actually wished that they'd be caught, so then she'd be forced to reveal her love towards Damon.

_"I don't know, Caroline!"_ Bonnie's voice drifted over the woods.

_"I swear to God, if she's with Damon!"_ Caroline exclaimed.

_"She's not._" Bonnie blatantly covered for Elena, _"I just saw Damon inside."_

_"Well, she needs to get back in there if she wants this thing to be believable."_

_"I'll find her; you just go make sure Stefan's all good."_ Bonnie said. Elena heard Caroline hesitantly walk back into the mansion.

_"Elena,_" Bonnie whispered, _"If you can hear this, please come back. Both you and Damon. You're needed."_

Elena broke from Damon's lips and grunted in disappointment.

"Damn doppelgänger duties." She whispered.

"I see you've told witchy," Damon stated, "I'll go with you."

"That's not necessary," Elena requested.

"Yeah it is," Damon insisted, "What if a werewolf finds you a little too appetizing on your walk back?"

Elena laughed and shrugged.

"I honestly doubt that." She pulled away from him, but he grabbed her hand and quickly spun her back to him. "What—?"

Damon cut her off by kissing her. He gently nibbled on her lower lip and pulled away.

"Sorry," He shrugged, "You just looked so appetizing." Elena smiled and ran her hand down his bicep and forearm until she reached his hand. She entwined their fingers.

"Come on," She laughed. She began leading the way out of the forest and Damon followed. They walked in silence for a moment.

Elena was thinking about how bizarre it was how her relationship with Damon had progressed.

"Remember when I hated you?" Elena broke the silence.

"Yeah." Damon responded, "That's a genuinely terrible conversation starter, Elena."

"Well, I just find it funny."

"That now you're oh-so-in love with me?" Damon finished her thought and she nodded.

Just then, they emerged from the woods to find Bonnie standing with her hand on her hip. She was examining her phone intensely, obviously trying to text Elena. She looked up when she heard Damon and Elena's footsteps and sighed audibly.

"You two are not being very discreet." Bonnie said. She looked at Elena, "What ever happened to the whole 'ending it' thing?"

"I lasted a good twelve hours." Elena joked, but Bonnie did not laugh.

"Well, I can see that you're still 'Team Stefan.'" Damon chimed in, nodding towards Bonnie.

"No, Damon," Bonnie responded, "I'm 'Team Elena,' meaning that I'll always protect her. No matter what the circumstance." Damon heard the threat in her words and he was honestly grateful for Bonnie's position because it meant one more person watching over Elena. Of course, he'd never admit that.

"So what's up?" Elena asked. She let go of Damon's hand.

"People were asking questions as to why you danced with your fiancé's brother and then disappeared for thirty minutes," Bonnie paused to let the reality of the situation sink in for Damon and Elena. They momentarily escaped their lives, but Bonnie made it a point to make them remember the stakes, "Katherine has people everywhere. We need this to work if we want to stay on Klaus's good side."

"You're right," Elena conceded.

"Unfortunately," Damon tacked on and Elena sighed. She turned around and looked at Damon. She knew that the moment she reentered the mansion, she would have to have a somewhat cold attitude towards Damon and she hated that.

She backed away from him to the front door of the mansion. She placed her hand on the doorknob and right before she turned the handle she mouthed 'I love you.' She felt the desire to remind him.

Damon mouthed 'I love you' back at her as he watched her disappear into the life of both their nightmares—one without each other.

**AN: Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	15. Future Planning

Elena was led to the dance floor by Stefan. People around them smiled and clapped as they walked by, as though they were recently married rather than engaged.

He took her waist and she rested her hand on his shoulder. He began dancing with her, watching her with a smile. She returned the smile, but it was nothing except a formality.

"Have you ever thought of our future?" Stefan asked her.

"You know I've thought of thinking about it," Elena responded, shifting on the balls of her feet awkwardly.

"What would you think of…" Stefan hesitated, trying to think of the words, "Actually marrying me?"

Elena's heart jumped to her throat and she stopped dead in her tracks. She felt like her throat was closing and she gaped—opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water, struggling with the formation of words.

"Elena?" Stefan asked concernedly.

"Sorry," She said, shaking her head to clear it, "I guess I was just sorta caught off guard."

"Understandably," Stefan joked, "But…what do you think?"

"I—I," Elena choked out, "I can't."

"You can't?" Stefan furrowed his brow, obviously taken aback by the response.

"I can't." She repeated, unsure of what else to say, "I'm sorry." She pulled away and quickly gathered her skirt before running out of the ball. She burst through the front door and collapsed to her knees on the front porch. She was hyperventilating and struggling to slow her breathing.

It was all too much for her. She thought that it would be easy to fake her engagement with Stefan and feign indifference towards Damon, but that was evidently not the case.

The door opened behind her, but she ignored it. She was too focused on trying to regain her composure.

"Elena?" Caroline asked from behind her, "What's wrong?"

Elena's breathing steadily slowed and she closed her eyes. A tear that she didn't know existed escaped when her eyelids met. She brushed it away and stood up.

"Stefan asked me to marry him," Elena said turning towards Caroline. Caroline's eyes lit up and her jaw dropped.

"And?" Caroline egged on with an excited voice, "What did you say?"

"I said no."

"What?! Are you insane?!"

"No." Elena defended her decision.

"Then, why did you reject him?!" Caroline asked, still in shock.

"Aside from the fact that I'm only eighteen—."

"Time is relative, and you're a vampire now, it doesn't matter." Caroline tried to convince Elena, but Elena just shook her head.

"That's not the only reason." Elena said hesitantly.

"Then, what else is there?" Caroline placed her hand on her hip and stared down Elena.

Elena paused, internally wondering if she should tell Caroline. She decided that now was as good of a time as any, "I have this bad habit of sleeping with my boyfriend's brother."

"What?!" Caroline shouted, "No! Not Damon! That's terrible! He's terrible! And Stefan's so good for you!"

"He was, but he's not anymore." Elena argued. She was getting tired of having to defend her love for Damon, but she knew would always have to. Damon's reputation was not the prettiest.

"And Damon's so much better? Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?"

"Do you realize how judgmental you're being?!" Elena retorted, "I'm in love with him and nothing's going to change that!"

"You're _in love_ with him?" Caroline scoffed, "No. I refuse to believe that. I'm not being judgmental; I'm just trying to protect you!"

"Do me a favor and stop," Elena said venomously.

"What has gotten into you, Elena?!" Caroline rolled her eyes and answered her own question, "Apparently Damon. Multiple times."

"Wow," Elena crossed her arms, "That's a low blow, Caroline."

"Well, it's true."

"Yes, it is," Elena said and Caroline bit her bottom lip angrily, "I just want you to be accepting."

"I can't be accepting when you're obviously delusional," Caroline responded. Elena shrugged.

"If loving Damon is me being delusional, I don't want to be anything else." Elena stated. She watched Caroline silently momentarily before walking back to the front door, bumping Caroline's shoulder as she walked past.

"This isn't like you Elena…you don't cheat." Caroline pleaded.

"I know," Elena admitted, "And I don't like it any more than you. But, it seems to be the only thing that can happen right now."

"Or you could, you know, _not _sleep with Damon." Caroline stated. She turned to look at Elena.

"Tried that. Didn't work."

"Elena…" Caroline began.

"I know."

"Then, why?"

"Because when it comes to him, all my morals are tossed out the window."

"That's not good, Elena. That's toxic." Caroline said.

"I know—_we_ know," Elena corrected.

"Then, why?" Caroline begged. Elena sighed and shrugged.

"Love is weird." She turned the doorknob, "Look, Caroline. You can't tell Stefan."

"Oh great, now you're dragging me into your messed up little situation." Caroline complained.

"Yes, I am. Because now you know, and for the sake of everyone we love, we have to keep it a secret."

Caroline stomped her feet the way she does when she's conflicted and upset.

"Agh! Fine! But I don't approve."

"I don't expect you to." Elena walked back into the ball, leaving Caroline in her wake.

Stefan immediately noticed her rejoin the crowd and confronted her.

"Elena. I'm sorry. I already knew your position on the subject and that was rude of me to put you in that situation."

"Stefan, you are such a kind person." Elena took his hand and squeezed it, "It's all fine." She said reassuringly. She knew that she was in no position to get upset with him and considering her activities with Damon, she figured that Stefan deserved to be treated better by her. Recently, she had been really cold with him.

She smiled at him. Her eyes drifted across the room to Damon who was leaning against the staircase. He was watching her with narrow eyes. She felt her heartbeat quicken at the sight of him and quickly turned her attention back to Stefan before she did something else completely reckless.

**A/N: Review please!**


	16. Petrova Fire

Damon left the ball early, unable to watch Elena be so lovey-dovey with his brother. He figured it was best to just get out of there before he did anything stupid and impulsive.

He burst into his bedroom and violently tossed his bowtie onto the bed. He threw his tux jacket onto the ground and walked angrily into the bathroom. He bent down over the sink and splashed his face with cold water. He straightened back up and sighed, running his fingers through his soft black hair.

He looked at himself in the mirror. He was a hot mess with displaced strands of hair, a tight jaw, and icy blue pained eyes. He was angry with himself for being so affected by Elena and Stefan.

He punched the mirror and shards of glass fell when he pulled away his hand. Even though all the open cuts healed quickly, fresh blood still crusted the surface of his skin. He grunted and put his hands under the water to wash away the red.

"Damon?" Her voice sounded behind him.

Damon turned around to see Elena carefully walking into his room, as if she were scared that any sudden movement would send him off the deep end. She was no longer in her extravagant ball gown. She had changed into a tight purple tank top and jeans. On her neck rested the necklace that Stefan gave her two years ago. Damon hadn't seen her wear that in a long while and it fueled his anger.

"Elena," Damon sighed, "What are you doing here?"

"The ball is over; I just came by to check on you. You seemed—_seem _upset." Elena edged her way towards him.

"You don't have to be scared, I won't hurt you. Come here." He motioned her towards him and she obliged. She stopped right in front of him.

"But, what got you so upset?"

"You know," Damon said. Elena nodded her head and hesitantly spoke.

"St—Stefan and me."

Damon nodded and looked away from her with a tightly clenched jaw.

"It's hard to watch," Damon said through gritted teeth. Elena sighed and took his hand. Damon relaxed a bit on the contact. It was as if she were reminding him where her heart truly lied.

"It's just the way it is," Elena said. Damon narrowed his eyes and looked at her.

"I don't like it." Damon said. He watched her in silence. She looked different, but Damon couldn't exactly place what it was that made her look different. He snaked his arm around her back and Elena gasped at the sudden contact. He edged her shirt up her torso. He bent down and gently licked, nibbled, and then kissed her collarbone. "I love you Elena." He whispered against her skin.

Elena quickly pushed away from him and took a couple steps back to distance herself from Damon.

"Damon, stop it! You're overly emotional," She reasoned, "You know I'm with Stefan!"

Damon narrowed his eyes in confusion and hurt. He watched her with barred teeth and began slowly walking toward her with a predator-like stance. Elena stepped back with fear in her eyes.

Damon was angry. He didn't know what was going on with her, but he didn't like it one bit. That's when it hit him. It all made so much more sense now and he was upset with himself that he didn't catch onto it right away.

Damon used vamp-speed to run up to her. He clasped his hand around her throat and picked her up, slamming her back into the wall.

"What—what are you doing?!" She choked out, clawing at Damon's hand. Damon gritted his teeth and cocked his head to the side, getting that crazed look he always gets when he is close to the edge.

"Hello, Katherine." Damon said.

At the last statement, she dropped her hands to her side and a smug smile replaced the innocent façade that previously occupied her countenance.

"I'm proud of you, Damon," Katherine said smugly, "You caught on pretty quick considering your IQ level."

Damon shrugged.

"I can be pretty intuitive." He replied. Katherine tried to pry his hand off her throat, but he only tightened his grip.

"Mmm," Katherine coughed out, looking at him with devilishly flirtatious eyes, "I like this Damon Salvatore. He's way hotter than the lost puppy that used to stalk me."

"And way more dangerous." Damon threatened, lifting her higher from the ground.

"Now, now, don't be like that," Katherine bit her bottom lip. She used her 300 years superior strength to push him off of her. He fell back onto the bed and before he could get up, Katherine sped over to him and straddled him, pinning him back down to the mattress. She leaned down over him and whispered, "I know you still want me."

Damon looked up at her and bit his bottom lip seductively. He lifted his head up, positioning his lips right by hers.

"Not at all," He whispered, dropping his head back down to the mattress. Katherine sighed and sat up, still straddling Damon.

"I have a question for you," She said.

"I probably don't have an answer," Damon stated.

"I'll ask anyway." Katherine said, teasing her hair, "Why is it that what gave me away was the fact that I wasn't returning your affections?"

Damon glared at her and pursed his lips. She had him.

"My, my!" Katherine laughed, "Are you telling me that miss goody-goody Gilbert is getting around?"

"No!" Damon defended Elena's honor.

"Oh, so it's just you and Stefan?" Katherine inquired wickedly.

Just then, the door to Damon's bedroom was opened and in came the real Elena. She had actually changed out of her ball gown and was now wearing a jean skirt and black t-shirt.

"Katherine," She gasped at the sight. "And Damon?" Her voice changed from fear to suspicion, confusion, and sadness when she noticed her lover pinned under her enemy.

"Ah, Elena!" Katherine said, "Come to join the party?"

"Get off of me!" Damon growled, trying to throw her off of him. She was too strong though.

"What's going on?" Elena's voice caught in her throat.

"Damon was just filling me in on your life." Katherine said nonchalantly, "Turns out, you are getting a little less predictable. Brava. There's that Petrova fire."

"You told her?!" Elena asked Damon.

"Not exactly," Damon continued to struggle underneath Katherine, "A little help, please?"

Elena rolled her eyes and ran over to Katherine. Damon pushed her up and Elena pulled her off of him, causing her to hit the ground with a thump. Katherine laughed as she stood up.

"Does Stefan know about this?" She asked.

Elena stared her down and remained silent. Her silence was all the answer that Katherine needed.

"Good to know! I bet when he finds out he'll be pretty upset. He'll probably need another woman, one who would never be so manipulative." Katherine plotted.

"That woman isn't you," Elena assured her.

"Touché." Katherine said, "But at least you will be out of the picture."

"Pfft." Damon scoffed, "Stefan will never go for such a pathetic, desperate, little manipulative bitch that is you."

"Ohhh ouch," Katherine sarcastically backed up as though she had been physically hurt. "He did once. He did twice." Katherine gestured towards Elena.

Damon lunged forward, but Elena caught him before he could reach Katherine. After all, Klaus did need Katherine alive.

"That's right Elena; hold back your boy-toy." Katherine said, turning around and walking to Damon's open bedroom door. Her hips swayed sassily with each step, and she tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" Damon snarled at her.

"To win the heart of the only Salvatore I ever truly loved," Katherine responded before tossing Damon a wicked smile. She escaped out the door and Elena let go of Damon's arm.

**A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated, so if you have a moment, leave one!**


	17. Keeping Katherine

Damon walked to the door and slammed it shut behind Katherine. The door broke in a jagged half from Damon's strength when it collided with the doorframe. Elena flinched, but didn't move. She was used to his temper.

He turned around to look at her with angry tears lingering in the bottom of his eyes. Elena read his face: he was angry, but also hurt, and that was when Elena realized how much power Katherine still had over him.

She took a step towards him and placed her hand gingerly on his arm, but he yanked it out from under her.

"Damon, you can't let her get to you like this!"

"100 years, Elena!" Damon shouted, "I chased after that creature for 100 years and she _never _loved me!" Damon paced around the room.

Elena listened to him and felt her heart crumbling. She hated that he was still this caught up on his ex.

"Damon!" Elena caught his attention and he stopped pacing. "Listen, Katherine Pierce is the most horrible, damaging, soulless creature to ever inhabit this Earth. I actually believe that Klaus of all people is better than her." Elena paused, "You need to get over her, and what's she's done to you!"

"What can I say, Elena?" Damon spat out, "I'm damaged goods! I'm sloppy seconds!"

"Stop it!" Elena ran over to him and grabbed his hand. He tried to pull it away, but she held onto him. He placed his hand on his heart with her hand on top of his. "Do you feel that?" Elena looked at Damon, "That's your heart. Your _good _heart. You're not 'sloppy seconds' or 'damaged goods' to me, Damon." She placed her other than on his cheek to comfort him the same way she'd done many times before. "Do you know what you are?"

"What?" Damon asked her. His hard façade was breaking down as he stared into her milky brown eyes.

"You're the man that I fell in love with, the man that I can't imagine my life without. The one who makes me feel alive, even when I'm dead; who makes me burn with either desire or rage, but either way I feel invincible. You caught my heart, Damon. No matter how long it took or the circumstances, you have me. Isn't that enough for you?" Elena's eyes pleaded with him, hinting that his answer to this question would determine the fate of their relationship.

"More than enough," Damon sighed. Elena smiled and pulled him down to her lips. She kissed him once, twice, three times. They were happy and relief-filled kisses, short and sweet.

She pulled away and was relieved to find that they both had giddy smiles plastered on their cheeks.

"So," Elena made a clicking noise with her mouth, "We seem to have another problem…"

"The bitch knows." Damon said and Elena nodded.

"But!" Elena exclaimed, "We do have something to our advantage."

"What's that?" Damon asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and swaying her back in forth. Elena instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist.

"She still doesn't know that the engagement is a fake."

Damon cocked his head to the side.

"You're right."

"Yeah, she just thinks that we're sneaking around behind my fiancé's back."

"Speaking of your fiancé," Damon said, "Katherine has your necklace which can prove to be problematic..."

Elena furrowed her brow.

"Which necklace?" She asked, genuinely forgetting.

"The one that Stefan gave you…remember?" Damon asked.

"Oh, right!" Elena said and Damon laughed.

"Damn, Elena," Damon responded.

"What? I forgot about it!" Elena defended.

"Exactly," Damon stated.

"It's not my fault."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, you distracted me with your bad boy charm." Elena joked. Damon smiled.

"My bad, I guess I'll lay off then," Damon unwrapped his arms, but before he could fully remove himself from her, she grabbed him and made him hold her again in the same way.

"Hey now, I'm not complaining."

"So, what were you saying before you got really cute?" Damon asked, leaning down to kiss her nose. Elena bit her lip to keep from giggling like a stupid teenager and blushed.

"Katherine doesn't know it's a fake, which means that we can still manipulate the situation long enough to make her stay in town."

"Right, but you realize that to keep the odds stacked in our favor we have to fix one thing that could potentially be a lose canon if left unchecked." Damon stated.

"Agh, don't say it—."

"We have to tell Stefan."

**A/N: Review please!**


	18. Stronghold

Elena paced around Damon's bedroom, running her hands through her hair and stopping when she would reach a wall, only to turn around and go right back again.

Damon was lying down on his bed, watching her with amusement in his eyes. She was so stressed and he found it so damn funny.

"Is someone a little nervous?" Damon asked with his typical smug smile. Elena looked at him and when she saw that smile her brow relaxed momentarily as she let out a little sigh-laugh.

"How did you know?!" Elena sarcastically asked. Damon tossed his hands in the air and let them fall back to his lap.

"I have a history of being intuitive. You knew you would have to tell him eventually."

Elena bit her bottom lip and shuffled her feet. Damon noticed her shift in attitude and stood up.

"Right, Elena?" Damon asked suspiciously. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course I was, Damon." Elena reassured him and the tension released from Damon's shoulder blades.

"Good." Damon edged his way towards her and Elena took a step back, attempting to maintain at least a three-foot distance between them. Damon noticed the movement and narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "What?"

"It's not what you think—."

"Really? Because it looks like you're trying to stay away from me."

"I am, but—."

"But what?!" Damon asked. Elena sighed and lifted her hands like a wall.

"Let me explain," She asked, "I think it might not be the best thing to have Stefan accidentally walking in on us right before I tell him, especially with Katherine running around."

"So, you can't even get close to me?" Damon asked, still unsure about Elena's feelings towards him.

"Yeah, I can't!" Elena declared, "Because you'll touch me and then next thing I know, we'll be naked."

Damon raised his eyebrows with understanding. But, his eyes quickly darkened with a lustful desire. He took a step towards Elena and she stepped back.

"Damon, don't." She begged. Damon smiled and stepped forward again. This time, Elena didn't distance herself.

"Stop me." He said, running his tongue across his bottom lip seductively. Elena watched the act and gulped, attempting to moisten her dry mouth.

"I will," She threatened. Damon continued his prowl forward until he was standing directly in front of her.

"You lose," Damon growled. Within a flash, he had Elena pressed up against the wall. His mouth was on her clavicle and her legs were wrapped around his waist. She ran her fingers through his hair and laughed loudly. Damon swallowed her laughter with his kisses.

Elena became overwhelmed with desire—just as she had feared. She pulled his face closer to hers. Damon found her hands behind his head and grabbed them. He pinned them roughly against the brick and Elena gasped.

Just then, Damon pulled away completely and Elena's feet hit the ground. She looked at Damon in confusion; he was standing only a foot away from her with a smug grin.

"Damon, no, come back," Elena pleaded in whispers. She reached out and grabbed his hand to pull him to her.

"No," Damon mocked her by attempting to imitate her voice, "It's too risky." Elena shook her head and chuckled. She slapped him on the chest.

"You tease."

"Yep. Got the job done though," Damon said. Elena cocked her head in confusion and Damon maintained his know-it-all smile. That's when Elena felt the sudden weight on her neck. She looked down.

Hanging from a metal chain on her neck was a glass raven. Elena gaped at the site; it was extraordinary with exquisite detail. She felt her heart leap at the sight. She thought it was ridiculous to get so giddy over jewelry, but something about Damon's gift to her made her emotions swell.

"Well? Do you like it?" Damon asked, watching her incessantly, attempting to determine her reaction.

Elena placed the little bird in between her thumb and forefinger and stroked it. She looked up and made eye contact with him.

"I love it." She said.

"Whew." Damon wiped away the fake sweat on his brow.

"Although I do admit, the means of gifting was a little unconventional…"

"Hey!" Damon defended, "You have never let me give you a gift. This seemed the easiest way to make sure you'd actually accept it."

"That's true," Elena looked back down at the charm. She furrowed her brow, trying to uncover why the raven struck a chord in her mind. Then, it hit her. Even though it was only two years ago, everything including herself had changed so much that it felt like a century ago. "Wait a second…that was your raven?!"

"Hmm…oh yeah." Damon shrugged, "Did I forget to mention that?"

"Damon! That bird terrified me!" Elena joked.

"Well, in my defense…that was the point."

Before Elena could respond, there was a soft _tap, tap_ on the doorframe. Damon and Elena looked at the threshold to find Stefan staring at the broken door with one lifted eyebrow.

"What happened here?" He asked.

"Katherine stopped by," Elena responded. Stefan looked up at her.

"We should sue her for property damage," Stefan suggested. Elena smiled and shifted her stance awkwardly. She knew what she was going to have to do.

"Unfortunately we can't because I did that." Damon pointed at the door. Stefan looked at him, obviously disappointed and Damon shrugged, "Sorry."

"Mhmm," Stefan scowled. "What did she want?"

This was her opening.

Elena cleared her throat and both Salvatore's turned their attention to her.

"She…um," Elena paused due to nerves.

"What's that?" Stefan asked, gesturing to Elena's neck. Her hand instinctively curled around the raven. She was having trouble formulating the words. This was really hard news to break, so she decided to edge her way into it.

"So, there's a major flaw in our plan…" Elena paused. Stefan and Damon were watching her as she struggled with the news. Damon took a step closer to her back. He subtly rested his hand on her lower back and she instantly felt a little stronger. She exhaled. "Stefan, there's something you need to know."

"Okay. Then, tell me," Stefan insisted. Elena inhaled deeply, deciding to be completely straight with him.

"I've been sleeping with Damon," Elena spit out.

Elena watched as Stefan slowly wrapped his mind around her words. She watched as he went from denial and shock to anger.

"Are you serious?!" Stefan shouted. Elena flinched and instinctively grabbed Damon's hand. Stefan noticed the gesture and it fueled his anger. "What the hell, Elena?!"

Elena pulled away from Damon and stepped towards Stefan, but Damon grabbed her and pulled her back to him.

"He's not himself right now. Let him cool down." Damon whispered in her ear. Elena nodded in understanding.

"How many times?!" Stefan insisted.

"Tw—twice," Elena choked out.

"Twice! So, you betrayed me _twice!_"

"Stefan, listen—."

"I don't want to listen to your excuses, Elena. I don't want to hear your pleas for forgiveness or to fix things because you _cheated on me with my brother_." Stefan spat out.

"I know. I'm sorry, Stefan. I really tried to fight off my feelings for him, but I couldn't. I just couldn't control it. I'm so, so sorry." Elena begged. Stefan began calming down and sadness replaced the anger in his eyes.

"Do you think that I'm upset with you for falling in love with him?" Stefan rhetorically asked, "I'm not. I literally watched you fall for him. I've known about your love for him quite possibly longer than you have. You can't control your emotions, Elena. But, you can control your actions."

Elena watched him with silent guilt. She knew that he was right. Her actions with Damon had been very, very wrong. But, Elena wondered how could something so wrong feel so right?

"Stefan, this…" Elena pointed at gestured to him, then to her and Damon, "This is what Katherine wants. She's winning. She found out about all of this and wants to use it to her advantage. We need to get the power back."

"I can't listen to this right now," Stefan tossed his hands up in the air. He turned around and began storming towards the threshold.

"Stefan, wait!" Elena stopped him.

"What? What else could you possibly tell me or ask of me?"

"Don't let her win, Stefan. Don't estrange us." Elena begged.

Stefan sighed and turned around to face them. He looked at both of them with tears in his eyes.

"You two are the people I love most in this world," Stefan declared, "Even if I wanted to, I could never estrange you." He walked out of Damon's room and stopped on the opposite side of the threshold, "I'm going to spend the night at Caroline's to…sort things out."

Just like that, he was gone. Elena felt hot tears rush down her cheeks. She felt Damon sneak his hand into her hand. She crumbled under his touch and turned around, collapsing into his solid arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cried against his chest.

He pressed his lips against the crown of her head and whispered comforting things to her until he felt her body stop shaking from sobs.

**A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	19. A New Day

She woke up with a start from a nightmare. She dreamt that Katherine had killed all the people she loved right in front of her, but she couldn't do anything about it.

But, the moment her eyes opened she began to calm down as she recognized her surroundings. Directly in front of her was the opening to Damon's bathroom. The sun cascaded through the red drapes, cascading the room with a warm orange hue. She had never been in Damon's room in the morning.

Slowly, as to not wake Damon, Elena turned around to lay on her other side. She smiled at what she saw: Damon was resting peacefully with his arm tucked under the pillow. All the muscles on his face were relaxed and the sun was illuminating the subtle blonde tips of his eyelashes. He looked so calm, so centered, and so irresistible.

Elena quietly began tracing the lines on his face: his forehead, eyebrows, cheekbones, lips, chin. Her fingers were light like ghosts crawling across his skin. She was infatuated with his appearance; she had never really had a chance to explore the intricacies of his look before.

"Hmm…I've woken up to some weird feelings before; this is defiantly in the top 5." Damon's voice broke Elena's reverie and she rested the entirety of her hand on his neck.

"Isn't it weird how vampires sleep? I mean, what's the point?" Elena asked. She watched as Damon's lips curved up into a little smile.

"You're just asking that question?" Damon opened his eyes. At the sudden eye contact, Elena felt her heart jump to her throat. Somehow he had always managed to get that reaction from her.

Damon raised his eyebrows and that's when Elena realized that she had been staring at him silently for longer than she had thought.

"I've never woken up next to you before," Elena stated quickly, trying to distract from her awkward silence.

"That's a very good observation, Elena. How do you feel about that?" Damon asked. He placed his hand on her exposed torso; his fingers lightly danced over her skin.

"I think I could get used to it," Elena smiled at Damon and he smiled back. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, pulling him into a 'good morning' kiss. She pulled away and Damon gave her his puppy-dog pouty face. Elena chuckled.

"Sorry, but I do actually have to go." Elena sat up and swung her feet over the side of the bed.

"What? Where?" Damon sat up with her.

"I still have this little thing called school, Damon," Elena said, standing up.

Damon grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back down to the bed. Elena squealed as she fell into his arms.

"I'm not letting you go," Damon whispered in her ear.

"I have to!" Elena laughed as she tried to break from his grip.

"I'm doing you a service! I refuse to let you waist your eternity behind a desk."

Just then, Elena's phone buzzed on the side table. She tried to grab it, but she couldn't reach it.

"Permission to get my phone, Mr. Salvatore?" Elena asked jokingly. Damon looked up at the ceiling indecisively.

"Granted," Damon leaned up with Elena as she grabbed her phone, his arms still clasped around her. She was still laughing as she looked at the screen to see who was calling. It was Caroline.

"Hmm, let's see what she has to say about this whole 'school thing,'" Elena showed Damon who was calling before picking up the phone.

"Hello, Caroline," Elena purred into the phone.

"Hey, Elena," Caroline's voice was considerably more stressed than Elena's.

"Are _you_ going to school today?" Elena asked. Damon pulled her back down to the mattress and Elena gasped as she fell. Damon crawled on his elbows, perching above her like a raven. Elena bit her bottom lip through her smile.

"I have a little more pressing issues, Elena, and so do you." Caroline said. Elena rolled her eyes and mouthed 'buzzkill' to Damon about Caroline.

"Oh, yeah." Elena sighed. She looked up at Damon; he was still smiling flirtatiously at her. Elena leaned up and pecked him on the lips.

"Yeah. Like the fact that I have a depressed Stefan lazing out on my couch right now, complaining about not being able to find the TV remote." Caroline huffed.

Elena barely heard her though because she was distracting by Damon. He was kissing every inch of bare skin that he could find on her body and Elena was gasping and laughing as his mouth explored her.

"Elena!" Caroline exclaimed, catching Elena's attention.

"What?"

"Ya know I can hear _all_ of that. You aren't being that secretive." Caroline said with her judgmental voice.

"That's the point, we don't have to be secretive anymore," Elena cheerfully announced. When Caroline didn't respond, Elena sighed, "Come on, Damon. We gotta be serious now." Damon plopped down on his back next to Elena and grunted in disappointment.

"Thank you," Caroline said. "Meet me at my house, k?"

"Um, Care, we can't do that," Elena spoke hesitantly.

"Oh, is it 'we' now?"

"Come on, you know what I mean," Elena said. She heard Caroline sigh.

"Stefan will play nicely if Damon does. Just get down here before Katherine gets ahead of us."

"Okay, fine." Elena nodded even though Caroline couldn't see her, "We'll see you soon."

* * *

Elena rang the doorbell. She impatiently fidgeted with her keys, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"Worried?" Damon asked her.

Elena sighed and nodded. She touched the raven dangling from her neck.

"Aren't you?" Elena asked.

"I stopped getting stressed about Stefan confrontations in the 1800s. It caused too many wrinkles." Damon said. Elena nodded and leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

She heard footsteps in Caroline's hallway.

"Here we go," Elena mumbled as the door opened. In front of them stood a glum Stefan. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of Damon holding Elena and turned around. He began walking into the house.

"Come in, Caroline's in the kitchen," Stefan mumbled. Elena and Damon shared a worried look before entering the house. They walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. Caroline was gulping down a blood bag.

"Oh, hey," Caroline pried the bag from her lips, "I just was thirsty…from a work out."

"You work out?" Elena asked confusedly.

"You don't have to sound so shocked." Caroline responded. Elena shrugged.

"So, what's the deal?" Elena asked.

"Katherine's the deal," Caroline threw away the empty blood bag and Stefan solemnly leaned against the fridge with his arms crossed. He was wearing his white wife beater and a pair of blue jeans.

"She found me last night," Stefan said.

"And?" Elena asked.

"I pretended to be surprised when she told me about you and Damon," Stefan said, obviously doing his best to hold back his true emotions. Elena slowly nodded and cleared her throat.

"That's good. That gives us an advantage. Now she thinks she has the upper hand."

"I know," Stefan said. He crossed the room and stood next to Caroline. She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows. Stefan sighed, reading Caroline's expression and turned back to Elena and Damon, "Katherine has some of my blood."

Elena saw Damon tense up out of the corner of her eye. She looked at him full-on and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"I'm not getting what the big deal is…" Elena said. Damon raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Baby brother might have just doomed both of us," Damon said.

Elena straightened her posture in sudden curiosity. She turned to Damon with worry in her eyes. He met her eyes and shrugged, indicating that there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Damon," Stefan snarled. Caroline noticed the aggression bubbling to the surface and glanced at Elena, as if telling her to deal with the situation.

"Are you sure about that, Stefan?" Damon gained a defensive posture.

"You think that I would give Katherine some of my blood for what? A sick revenge scheme? Do you even know me?!"

"I know how you get when you're hurt!"

"Can someone please explain to me what's happening?!" Elena interrupted. Both the Salvatores' turned their attention towards her.

"Katherine getting my blood means that Damon and I are both at risk to ultimately any spell she wants to cast," Stefan explained.

Elena's heart dropped to her stomach and she looked concernedly at Damon. Of course, she was also worried about Stefan, but it was different kind of fear—not as intimate.

"That means that she knows we're over," Elena gestured between her and Stefan, "And now she's going to find a way to pursue you, all the while destroying our happiness." Elena placed her hand on Damon's bicep. Stefan dropped his eyes to the floor.

"That seems to be the deal," Caroline placed her hand tenderly on Stefan's back to comfort him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and his shoulders relaxed. Elena narrowed her eyes at their body language suspiciously.

"So, what do we do?" Elena asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Damon responded, "We have to kill her."

**A/N: Happy finale 2-3 (?) weekiversary. Review please!**


	20. Eternity

"We do _not _have to kill her," Elena turned on Damon with one hand resting haughtily on her hip. Caroline and Stefan assumed a passive stance, sensing an argument coming on.

"Yes, we do. I hate to get in the way of your morals, Elena," Damon said sarcastically, "But this is one of those tricky situations where murder is the only answer."

"Oh, come on, Damon!" Elena exclaimed, "You know that I don't care if Katherine lives or dies. I fear what Klaus can do more than what Katherine can do."

"Klaus needs us more than we need him." Damon countered, "If he kills you, he's screwed. Katherine has no qualms killing you."

"He does have a point," Stefan interjected, stepping forward to physically insert himself into the conversation. Elena glanced at Stefan. She didn't want to have this conversation with Damon in front of Stefan and Caroline. She figured that she could have better results if she talked with Damon alone.

"Will you guys excuse us for a second?" Elena asked Stefan and Caroline. Stefan nodded and stepped back. Elena grabbed Damon's hand and dragged him into the hallway. She turned to him and crossed her arms.

"Klaus needs me more than he needs you," Elena whispered. She didn't know why she was whispering; no matter what she did, Stefan and Caroline could still hear them. It was more of an instinct from when she was human.

"I can deal with Klaus," Damon whispered back, "Katherine needs to go first though."

"Why? Because she wants to kill me?" Elena asked. Damon widened his eyes and nodded as if to say 'obviously.' "Well, that's a constant state of living for her. She hasn't killed me yet, so why would she succeed now?"

"Katherine has Stefan's blood," Damon said the words slowly and clearly, "She can paralyze both of us. She can even kill us, if she wanted. She can do anything! All she has to do is get a witch to cast the spell. I wouldn't be able to protect you!"

"You don't need to!" Elena whisper-shouted in response. Damon narrowed his eyes.

"I will always protect you," Damon said straightforwardly. Elena looked at his blue eyes and felt herself began to soften. She and Damon seemed to get into a lot of arguments, but they always happened because they loved each other too much.

"I know," She took his hand and entwined their fingers. They stood silently for a moment, lingering on each other's touch. "Do you see a future with me?" Elena asked.

"I've always seen a future with you," Damon instantly responded. Elena smiled. He stepped forward so their bodies were pressed against each other. Elena's heartbeat picked up at the close proximity and her breathing quickened.

"We could get a little white picket fence…" Elena flashed Damon a playful smile and toyed with his fingers.

"Oh yeah, and adopt little babies and never turn them or tell them about vampires. They'd be so confused as they age and we don't." Damon chuckled and Elena also laughed at the thought.

"Maybe not." She said. Damon smiled down at her and she returned his smile. But, her face quickly straightened with seriousness, "Damon, there's nothing I want more than an eternity with you. But a key part of an eternity with you is the _you_ part."

"Elena…" Damon said hesitantly. She knew what he was about to say, and she didn't want to hear it.

"No, Damon. We kill Katherine, Klaus kills you."

"Katherine would happily kill me, too," Damon argued, determined to make Elena see his reasoning.

"I don't think so…" Elena said. Damon furrowed his brow in confusion. Elena read the look, "Katherine likes to have you and Stefan for rainy days. And, even if she wanted to kill you, she couldn't do so without killing Stefan, and she doesn't want to do that."

Elena searched Damon's face for hurt, but he displayed none. A little smile curved onto her lips because maybe Damon had finally moved on from what Katherine had done to him, and maybe he was finally secure in Elena's love for him.

"I'm not saying that you're right, but you do have a point," Damon conceded.

"So, we'll find an alternative?" Elena asked. Damon sighed.

"We can try…" Damon said. Elena smiled widely and grabbed the front of his shirt. She pulled him down to her lips and kissed him slowly and sweetly, their lips melding together like puzzle pieces. She ran her hands down his chest and snaked them so that she was touching the bare skin of his waist under his shirt. She rested her hands there.

Damon tenderly placed his hands on her neck, gently tugging her closer to him. Elena broke the kiss.

"Thank you," She whispered against his lips.

"Shh," Damon whispered back. He joined their lips again. His lips were soft and warm against hers.

They were not lost in lust like usual. They were lost in a different form of passion, one of unequivocal love.

He pulled away and then quickly began kissing her again, this time from a different angle.

Just then, they heard someone clear their throat behind them. Elena pulled away quickly and looked around Damon. Stefan was standing in the kitchen doorway, blatantly hurt from the scene before him.

"Stefan," Elena coked out. She looked up at Damon who was still staring at her, infatuated by her. But, at the sound of his brother's name, he turned around to face Stefan.

"So, you've reached a decision?" Stefan asked, trying to conceal his emotions. Elena nodded.

"Now all we have to do is find a way to appease both evils."

**AN please review!**


	21. Fully Public

After a long, awkward discussion with Caroline and Stefan regarding alternative ways to fix their problem, Elena and Damon left Caroline's place.

The car ride home was mostly silent, but Elena's thoughts were loud. She was thinking about Katherine and Klaus and Damon and Stefan. She felt bad for Stefan, but she didn't feel bad about what she did. After all, she didn't get to choose who she loved.

When Damon was pulling into the Salvatore mansion driveway, Elena broke the silence.

"I think I need to talk to Bonnie," Elena said. Damon put the Camaro in park and turned off the engine. He turned his head to look at her and leaned back in his seat.

"That's probably smart," He responded. Elena nodded and kept her eyes glued forward, staring with a furrowed brow at the Salvatore boarding house. Damon knew that look: she was troubled, but trying to not bother anyone with her problems. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Elena said, attempting to fake a smile. Damon raised an eyebrow at her.

"Liar," He said. Elena looked at him full-on for the first time since leaving Caroline's house.

"I'm fine," Elena lied. She reached for the door handle, but Damon quickly locked all the doors.

"I know you're not," He said.

"Fine, I'm not. But, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Elena turned on Damon.

"Okay," Damon responded. He unlocked all of the doors and leaned back in his seat, looking out the windshield at his house.

Elena cocked her head to the side in shock. She didn't expect him to give in so easily, and for some reason it bothered her…it bothered her a lot.

"Good," Elena said. She reached for the handle and began to open the door. She looked back at Damon confusedly. He was glued in the same spot. Elena sighed and slammed the door shut. She leaned back in the passenger seat. "I just hate the fact that we're hurting Stefan so much!"

A smug smile curled onto Damon's cheeks and he turned to look at her. When Elena saw that smile, she knew exactly what Damon had done—he got her to tell him what was bothering her by using reverse psychology.

"Dammit," She muttered and Damon's smile widened.

"Don't worry about him. He'll get back to his normal self soon enough." Damon reassured her.

"Will he? We obviously did some major damage," Elena said. She ran her fingers through her hair anxiously, "I can't even imagine how much it must hurt to see the person you love with your sibling."

"It sucks," Damon responded.

Elena internally kicked herself at his response. She didn't even consider her past with Damon, all the times she blatantly shoved her relationship with Stefan down his throat. She didn't like to remember the part of her life where she would hurt Damon without consideration.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I didn't even—."

"It's fine," Damon interrupted her. He was obviously still a little upset. He sat silently for a while with a clenched jaw. Elena stared at him in worry. After a moment, he spoke up again, "I just wonder if you were ever this worried for me when I was in Stefan's current position."

Elena gulped and internally shamed herself for even bringing up this conversation.

"Later, yes," Elena answered. "After Stefan returned from Klaus, when I started to fall in love with you."

Damon stared ahead coldly. Elena watched him anxiously. She already had too much going on in her life, she had already damaged too many of her relationships; she couldn't be on the outs with Damon on top of everything.

"Does it even matter now?" Elena pleaded with him. Damon heard the fear in her voice and instinctively looked at her. "I love you, Damon. You. Not him."

Damon silently stared at her. He saw the worry in her eyes, and he didn't like it. He didn't like it when she was upset. Instantly, the hardness in his face relaxed. He leaned over the divider and rested his hand on her knee.

Elena calmed down at the contact and a smile replaced the worry that pained her countenance.

"Kiss me," Damon demanded, locking eyes with her. Elena nodded eagerly and leaned forward.

She kissed him, inhaling deeply. His scent overwhelmed her—the leather of his jacket, hints of smokiness from burning firewood, and the faint taste of bourbon lingering on his lips.

She ran her tongue across his bottom lip, tasting more of him. Damon opened his mouth and deepened the kiss.

She placed her hand on his stomach, feeling the definition of his abs separated only by his thin, black tee shirt.

This kiss was plagued with lust. Even though she had him just the night before, she wanted more. She always wanted more of him.

Just then, Elena's back pocket vibrated and she grunted, pulling away from Damon's lips. She pouted as she reached back and grabbed her phone.

It was a text from Bonnie requesting that Elena meet her at the Town Center Square.

"Can I borrow your car?" Elena asked. Damon raised one eyebrow.

"I can drop you off," He said.

"That's not necessary," Elena insisted.

"I don't trust you with my car, I'm taking you." Damon started the car and backed out of the driveway. Elena laughed and leaned back.

"I'm insulted!" Elena joked. Damon shrugged.

"I've seen you drive. I'm just trying to protect my girl." Damon patted the steering wheel. "From my other girl." Damon flashed Elena a smile and she smiled back. She loved that, being his girl.

* * *

Damon and Elena rolled up to the town center. Since it was such a beautiful day, they had decided to take off the top.

Damon stopped the car in front of the fountain and turned down the music. Elena looked across the yard. A lot of the people in the town were there, just hanging out. The majority of them were curiously watching Elena and Damon, obviously wondering why they were together. Mystic Falls was a small town, meaning that everyone was nosy and everyone knew everyone.

Elena spotted Bonnie sitting on a bench across the yard and smiled and waved to her. Bonnie returned the wave and gestured for Elena to come to her. Elena nodded and opened the door to the car.

She got out and slammed the door shut. She turned around the look at Damon. She playfully leaned against the side of the Camaro and flirtatiously smiled.

"Thank you," She said.

Damon nodded with a smug smile. Elena shifted her weight and then turned around. She was about to walk away when Damon stopped her.

"Don't I get a goodbye?" Damon asked. Elena turned back to him.

"Goodbye," She said with a smile. Damon raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

"You know what I mean."

"No one here knows that we're together, yet," Elena said, gesturing behind her to everyone in the Town Square. Damon shrugged.

"They're about to," He responded. Elena smiled and bit her bottom lip.

She hesitated before deciding that now was just as good as any time to go fully public with Damon.

She jogged around the car to the front seat. She bent down at the waist and matched her lips with Damon's. She placed her hands on his neck.

Her vampire hearing allowed her to eavesdrop on the reactions of everyone.

_"Is that Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert?...Kissing?"_ One person inquired.

_"Oh my, I wonder when that happened."_ Another said.

_"Wasn't she just engaged to Stefan?"_ Someone else asked.

_"Isn't he a little old for her?" _

The last comment made Elena chuckle. She broke the kiss.

"I love you," She whispered.

"I love you too," Damon responded. He brushed his thumb across her cheek and pulled away. Elena smiled at him. He smiled back and revved the engine quickly before driving away. Elena watched him go before walking away towards Bonnie.

"So, things are going well with you two?" Bonnie asked Elena when she reached her. Elena sat next to Bonnie and nodded, a smile still plastered on her cheeks. "I've never seen you more happy." Bonnie observed.

"Really?" Elena asked.

"Yeah." Bonnie smiled, "It's good. I like it."

"Me too." Elena pulled down her shorts and leaned back, tossing her arm across the back of the bench, "It was defiantly unexpected."

Bonnie nodded in agreement and then quickly straightened her face.

"So, Katherine has Stefan's blood…" Bonnie got to the point of the meeting. Instantly, the smile was wiped off of Elena's face. She nodded.

"We need to stop her before she does anything that can harm Damon and Stefan." Elena said in all seriousness.

"I agree," Bonnie said.

"Do you know of anything we can do?" Elena asked. Bonnie hesitated before speaking.

"I thought of one thing…" She began, "But it's extremely risky."

"Tell me," Elena insisted, sitting up in intrigue.

"Well, Katherine and Klaus have one flaw in their plans. Klaus is determined to keep you alive, and he's not likely to kill Caroline. Katherine is determined to keep Stefan alive, and she's not likely to kill Damon." Bonnie paused. Elena gestured for her to keep going, eager to hear her idea, "So, I was thinking we could link everyone."

Elena cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"If we are all linked together, whatever happens to one happens to all. It's extremely risky, but it gives us leverage. Klaus won't kill anyone because he'd be killing you. Same with Katherine because of Stefan." Bonnie explained. Elena nodded slowly as Bonnie's words sunk in.

"Let's do it," Elena said. Bonnie took Elena's hand.

"Okay, but I have to stress how dangerous this is." Bonnie said, looking Elena straight in the eyes to make sure she understood, "Anything that happens to one of us, happens to all of us. Not everyone is an immortal. Also, there are other intrusions that linking has. We will all have a psychic link as well."

"I don't care," Elena responded. "Is everyone else fine with it?"

Bonnie nodded, "Yeah, I've asked everyone. They are willing. They will do whatever you think is best."

"Okay. Then, do it."

"I might be able to find an alternative—."

"We don't have time for that. I'm desperate, Bonnie. Please, just link us." Elena interrupted.

"Okay," Bonnie conceded, "We'll do the ritual tonight."

**A/N: Please review!**


	22. Linking

Bonnie and Elena spent the rest of the afternoon together. They gathered all the necessary requirements for the linking spell within an hour and spent the extra time catching up. After a while, they left for Matt and Tyler's house for the ritual.

Bonnie put the car in park and together, they exited the vehicle. They walked to the front door, each holding a bag of supplies for the ritual.

Elena knocked on the door. She heard footsteps approaching the door. The lock rattled and then the door opened.

Caroline stood across the threshold and smiled at her two best friends.

"Come in," She greeted. Elena nodded and walked into the room. Bonnie followed. "Oh, let me take that." Caroline took the bags from their hands and gestured to the living room, "They're all in there."

Elena walked down the hallway to the living room.

Her eyes scanned the room. Matt and Tyler were leaning against the fireplace; Stefan and Jeremy were sitting together on the couch. The room was deafeningly silent, the tension so prominent that it was practically animated.

The moment Bonnie entered the room she went over and sat next to Jeremy. He smiled and placed his hand on her knee.

Elena watched the gesture and felt a smile twitch at the side of her lips, but it quickly disappeared, the tension of the room wiping it away.

She suddenly noticed the lack of Damon. She furrowed her brow in confusion and scanned the room again.

Just then, almost as if he read her mind, Damon emerged from the side room. He was carrying a glass of blood.

Her eyes immediately drifted to him and she felt her breath catch in her throat. His appearance was infatuating to her—the way his black shirt stretched over his muscles, every movement he made caused a muscle to flex and it drove her absolutely crazy.

"Hi," Damon said, breaking the silence of the room. He began walking towards Elena. Everyone's eyes followed his movements.

"Hi," Elena responded. Damon reached her and placed his arm around her waist. He bent down and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes and smiled at the contact, feeling extremely content.

He pulled away and stood at her side, turning toward the rest of the people in the room, his arm still around her waist. Elena placed her hand on his shoulder.

The looks of all her friends were a mix between shock and misunderstanding. They knew that Damon and Elena were together, but weren't used to seeing them being lovey yet.

"So…shall we?" Elena asked. Bonnie nodded and stood up. She went over to the bags and pulled out a bundle of candles. She began walking in a circle, occasionally placing a candle on the ground.

"Everyone will need to stand behind one of the candles," Bonnie explained. "And I will need some blood from each of you. Then, I will cast the spell and it will be done."

Bonnie straightened up and looked at everyone. No one had moved.

"Well, get to it." She said.

Stefan was the first to jump to action. He went to the desk and pulled out three letter openers. He gave them to Matt, Jeremy, and Tyler, who narrowed his eyes territorially at Stefan as he accepted it. Elena noticed the interaction.

"What's going on there?" Elena whispered to Damon. He merely shrugged in response.

The letter openers were being passed around and Bonnie was going to everyone with a goblet, collecting droplets of their blood.

Elena grew impatient waiting for a letter opener and decided to use her fangs instead.

She felt her fangs withdraw from her gums as she lifted her hand to mouth. But, before she could break the skin, Damon's voice interrupted her.

"I could do that for you," He whispered seductively. Elena's mind instantly jumped to one of the most erotic moments of her life—when she and Damon blood-shared in the Grill's bathroom during her transition. Elena's heartbeat picked up and she felt a wave of heat rush over her skin. She swallowed to moisten her mouth.

Her eyes quickly scanned over the room. Everyone was too busy and distracted to be eavesdropping in their conversation.

"Maybe later," She winked at him and bit into her skin. She never broke eye contact with him. They were lost in their own little world.

"I should not find this so hot," Damon said, watching Elena.

"I really wish I didn't hear that." Bonnie was standing in front of Damon and Elena. Elena quickly broke from her skin and her fangs retracted. She used the back of her sleeve to wipe the blood from the sides of her mouth.

"Sorry, Bon," Elena laughed, "We were just joking around." Elena held her hand over the goblet and the blood dripped into it. Damon bit into his hand and added his blood to the rest.

"Mhm, sure," Bonnie responded disbelievingly before walking to the middle of the circle.

Each person assumed their position behind a candle as Bonnie placed the goblet on ground. She began chanting in a language no one could understand.

"How long is this going to take?" Damon impatiently whispered to Elena and Elena rolled her eyes.

"What are you? Five?" She joked.

Bonnie chanted another stanza and the candles all lit. She began the next stanza and the flames grew taller. She chanted louder and faster, and then she quickly stopped. The moment the words stopped falling from her mouth, the candles all blew out and they were standing in the dark.

Due to her heightened vision, Elena could see everyone. They were looking around confusedly.

"Well, did it work?" Tyler asked the question that everyone was thinking.

There was another moment of silence.

That was, until the voices began.

They flooded Elena senses, screaming at her all at once. They were an incoherent blob of words at first until Elena focused hard to decipher each sentence.

_"She looks so happy with him. Why could I never get her to look at me like that?" _ Stefan's voice sounded in her head.

_"Why does Klaus need both Katherine and Elena?"_ Jeremy's voice also sounded.

_"I swear, if Stefan so-much-as looks at her again, I'll kill him."_ Tyler's voice dominated the others.

_"Ty's been acting weird recently, I wonder if he knows. God, I'm a terrible person. " _Caroline's voice sounded in Elena's head.

_"Elena and Damon…did not see that one coming." _Matt's voice interjected.

_"If I have to listen to this internal teenage drama nonstop, I might just stake myself." _Damon's thoughts complained.

_"Oh no, this was not supposed to happen."_ Bonnie's voice hit Elena.

"Yep…" Elena said out loud, "It worked."

**A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	23. In Your Mind

The worst part wasn't the chaos of her friends' thoughts. The worst part was their feelings and emotions. At first, all the linking spell appeared to do was give them mind-reading capabilities. But then, Elena began to feel all the emotions of her friends'.

It was brutal. She didn't even know that it was possible for one group of people to harbor so much pain.

They were still in the Mayor's mansion's living room, arguing with each other over the consequences of the spell and incriminating thoughts that were accidentally overheard.

"What are you hiding from me?!" Tyler shouted at Caroline. Stefan stepped in between the hybrid and vampire with his back protectively to Caroline.

"Tyler, calm down," Stefan reasoned.

"Shut up, Stefan!" Tyler exclaimed, "I know you have something to do with it."

"Bonnie," Elena whispered to the witch standing next to her as she watched the scene unfold, "You have to reverse this part of the spell."

"I can't." Bonnie whispered back. "There's always a consequence. This is it."

Elena could feel every emotion that Caroline was going through. She was extremely scared by Tyler, and angry with herself, and guilty…unbelievably guilty.

"Look, you need to calm down so we can figure this out." Stefan tried to diffuse the tension.

"No! You're keeping something from me, and I need to know what it is. Now!" Tyler demanded.

Elena felt everything that Tyler was feeling—hurt, distrust, suspicion, anger, and overwhelming betrayal.

She could feel the pain inherent within Stefan; all the sadness that haunted him.

Stefan glanced at Elena out of the corner of his eye and when he saw her standing next to Damon, the image of her kissing Damon in the hallway of Caroline's house flashed through everyone's mind, as though they were all watching the same movie. Elena felt his heart break. She could hear the memory of her words pulse through her own brain.

_"I've been sleeping with Damon."_

She never knew the extent of damage her love for Damon had caused Stefan.

She felt like she was choking on her own spit. Everything was hitting her like a tidal wave, and because she was a vampire, every emotion was magnified. She was panicking. Her heartbeat was deafening in her ears, but she could still clearly hear everyone's thoughts.

Her mind instinctively searched for that little switch that was hidden in the concaves of her brain. It was a survival tactic. All she would need to do was flip it. It was simple. Like turning off a light.

She stood silently with her eyes squeezed tight. She pictured her hand drifting towards the switch. She would lose all of it, everything that made her Elena Gilbert—her humanity. Her mental hand hovered over the switch.

Next, she felt the pain exuding from Matt, the way he carried the death of Vicki on his shoulders. His hurt was so real to her that it almost seemed like she had also lost a sibling.

That did it. She imagined her hand touching the switch, but before she could flip it, his voice came over her mind, consuming all her senses.

_"Don't do it,"_ Damon told her.

Instantly, her hand retracted from the switch and she opened her eyes. She felt hot tears that she didn't even know existed running down her cheeks. Damon was standing directly in front of her, examining her face intently.

"Damon…" She choked out. Her breathing had not calmed. She was still overwhelmed by everything in the room.

"Elena, look at me." Damon requested. Her eyes relentlessly scanned the room, watching the argument between Tyler, Caroline, and Stefan. "Look at _me_, Elena. Ignore them."

His tone turned demanding, catching Elena's attention. She locked eyes with him.

"It's too much." She whispered.

"I know." Damon responded. Elena broke eye contact with him and drifted back to the argument, but Damon caught her face between his hands. She quickly turned her attention back to him.

The moment her eyes met with his, she began to calm down. She could feel the tingles crawl across her skin from the contact.

"Focus on me…" Damon whispered.

Elena obliged, focusing on every part of him. She could feel his thoughts enter her mind. He was attempting to only think of the happiest moments in his not-so-happy life.

She saw a little boy running into a room in an old fashioned house. He was laughing; his black hair fell over his electric blue eyes as he emerged through the door. Inside, there was a large four-frame bed and a tall oak dresser. A lone candle burned in the corner and the sound of a baby crying echoed across the room. Elena watched as the little boy walked up to the bed. On it laid a woman, smiling down at a newborn in her arms.

_"Do you want to meet your baby brother?"_ The woman asked. The little boy nodded eagerly. She lifted her upper body up from the bed and gently positioned the baby in the little boy's arms. The little boy looked down at the newborn with a smile. _"His name's Stefan."_

_"Stefan…"_ The little boy repeated.

Elena felt her heart swell with love as the scene changed.

Little Damon was sitting in class, obviously bored. He was toying with a piece of paper on his desk as the teacher droned on and on about "the role of the proper gentleman."

Damon turned around in his seat to look at a little Stefan who was paying close attention to the teacher, formally sitting with proper posture. Damon crumbled up his piece of paper and the second the teacher turned around, Damon threw the paper at Stefan's head.

Stefan was so caught off guard that he fell off his seat, taking all the items on his desk with him. The teacher turned around and gasped at the sight of Stefan on the floor.

_"Mr. Salvatore! Detention!"_ The teacher boomed. Stefan looked up with an adorably upset face and Damon laughed at his misfortune.

Elena laughed with little Damon as the scene changed.

A twenty year-old Damon ran through the garden, tossing a football up and down. Stefan followed him.

_"What's this game called again?"_ Stefan asked. Damon turned around and threw the football at his brother.

_"Football."_ He responded. They commenced playing around, tossing the ball back and forth and occasionally tackling each other.

Elena smiled as the scene changed once again.

_"I'm Elena."_

Elena gasped at the sudden memory of their first meeting.

_ "Oh you—you just look…I'm sorry. You just really remind of someone. I'm Damon."_

She watched as they had their first ever conversation. She felt the imminent, instantaneous attraction that existed between them.

_"So Damon…tell me, what is it that I want?"_

_"You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, adventure, and even a little danger."_

Elena remembered the way she felt when he said that—shocked because he was so right.

_"So, what do you want?" _Memory-Elena asked.

_"I want you to get everything that you're looking for, but right now I want you to forget that this happened..."_

Elena smiled as the scene changed yet again.

_"You know what? No. If I'm going to feel guilty about anything, I'm going to feel guilty about this."_

Memory-Damon marched up the steps to her and grabbed her face, pulling her into their first real kiss. Except, this time it was like she was experiencing it from Damon's point of view. She felt her own lips on his and she felt as her own hand gently clasped his wrist.

She felt what Damon felt—love, joy, and relief that she actually kissed back.

Her heart swelled as the scene changed again.

_"Damon…I choose you."_

His mind was going into over speed, thinking about all the moments in his 170 years of living that made him happy. Elena had given so many happy moments that he had trouble condensing them. So, he gave her snippets of each.

_"I like you now…just the way you are."_

She felt her lips press against memory-Damon's and a tear fell from her cheek onto his face. Damon barely felt the kiss due to his impending death, but he still loved every second of it.

The scene changed again.

_ "I love you, Damon."_ It was the first time she told him, and it was the happiest moment that Damon had showed her thus far.

The scene changed again. Elena instantly caught on to what he was showing her. It seemed like so long ago. Klaus had Stefan and Damon was giving up, and he was so hurt about it.

_"We're never getting him back…" _Damon skeptically said, staring at the fireplace. Memory-Elena rested her hands on Damon's neck. She felt the way Damon's walls began to break down as she stared at him.

_"Then, we'll let him go."_

Elena realized that that was the moment when she actually chose Damon. The moment she decided that Damon's well-being was more important than retrieving Stefan from Klaus.

The scene changed again.

_"I know what I want. I want you, and I want you now."_

Elena felt heat rush up her body as the memory of her first time with Damon in the front seat of his Camaro flooded her mind.

_"Damon, there's nothing I want more than an eternity with you."_

Her own voice echoed in her mind as he brought her back to reality. She stood dumbfounded, searching his blue eyes. The room was totally silent.

"Thank you," Elena whispered to him. Damon nodded.

"Don't mention it." He responded. Elena raised her hands to rest on each side of his neck. She slowly stroked his skin. She smiled at him and a tear escaped from the bottom of her eye. Damon used his thumb to brush it away.

"Really. I'm so glad you were here. I almost—."

"I know," Damon interrupted. "I will always be here for you." He stroked her cheek with his thumb and Elena leaned into his touch. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, centering herself.

"I love you." Elena whispered.

A small smile twitched onto Damon's cheeks.

"I love you too," He whispered back.

She felt her heart leap and she leaned forward, kissing him slowly and tenderly. This kiss was unlike any other because she not only felt her own emotions, but also Damon's. The love they mutually shared seemed like enough to end all the hate in the world.

Elena broke from his lips and sighed, her forehead pressed against his.

"Wow," Caroline whispered.

That's when Elena and Damon noticed that everyone in the room had stopped everything and was intently watching the intimate moment.

A wave of embarrassment hit Elena because everyone just watched and felt the most intimate emotional moment of her life. She also felt something coming from the group, something that hadn't previously existed—acceptance.

It was obvious that some people were still disappointed in their relationship, but at least they now accepted it.

Stefan was still obviously heart broken, but all the anger he harbored towards them disappeared.

Elena looked around at all the dumbstruck faces of her friends' and cleared her throat.

"So, can we get back to work now?" She asked.

Everyone slowly nodded in consent. She smiled at them as they all settled down on the couches. Elena grabbed Damon's hand and together, they joined the group.

**A/N: So, super fluffy. Anyway, review please!**


	24. Revelations

**A/N: I've decided to rename the fic…obviously. This used to be called Fate vs. Freewill. Enjoy!**

"So, maybe it will be better if we all just get everything out on the table?" Elena asked the room, looking around to see the reactions of all her friends'. Judging by their expressions, they were not super fond of her idea.

"We could!...Or we could, you know, not." Caroline suggested. Tyler narrowed his eyes at her words and gritted his teeth. Elena gently rubbed her jaw, feeling what Tyler was inflicting upon himself.

"Oh come on, guys!" Elena said, leaning forward, "We used to tell each other everything. What happened?"

_"The Salvatore's happened_." Matt's voice rang through everyone's head. They all looked at him and Elena raised one eyebrow. Matt read their expressions and cleared his throat, "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"Yeah, well, we did." Damon leaned forward predatorily, obviously trying to scare Matt.

Elena placed her hand on Damon's knee to calm him down. The moment her hand touched his leg, she felt a rush that she had never felt before. It was like her body was a furnace. Her heart beat picked up and she felt her breath catch in her throat. An overwhelming amount of joy and love flooded her system.

Elena instantly turned her head towards Damon in shock. She knew why she had never felt that way before, because she wasn't feeling it. Damon read her look and simply responded by covering and clasping her hand in his. Elena looked down at the gesture and let a small smile crawl across her cheeks.

"Can we separate these two or something?" Jeremy chimed in.

"I second that." Caroline said. Elena rolled her eyes and leaned back onto the couch. Damon pulled his hand away from hers and rested it on the bare skin of her knee.

Elena felt a wave of jealousy and envy hit her from the corner of the room where Stefan sat. She looked at him sympathetically and he quickly turned away, unable to accept her sympathy.

"How about we get back to the confessions idea, Elena?" Tyler asked, leaning forward in his seat to stare down Caroline. The tension so intense that Elena squirmed with Caroline.

"Tyler—."

"Will you just tell me already?!" Tyler demanded. Caroline flinched at his tone.

"I can't…" She said hesitantly.

"You can't? Why?!" Tyler exclaimed. Just then, a surprising memory flashed through everyone's mind.

_"Stefan, calm down…" _Memory-Caroline walked up to a pacing Stefan.

_"Calm down?! She kissed him. She kissed Damon on a drunken instinct!"_ Memory-Stefan shouted. He began pacing again, but Memory-Caroline grabbed his wrist and forced him to stop and look at her.

_"It doesn't mean anything. She loves you, remember?" _

_"Does she?"_ Memory-Stefan paused and searched her face.

_"It's all going to be fine,"_ Memory-Caroline assured. She hesitated before placing her hands comfortingly on his shoulders. An eerie silence fell over the room. They were staring intently into each other's eyes. Memory-Caroline subconsciously rubbed his shoulders.

Then, almost out of nowhere, their lips were melding together. Memory-Caroline pulled away and gasped.

_"That was a mistake." _

The memory faded away leaving the room silent in shock. Tyler was glancing between Caroline and Stefan with his mouth agape. Elena cleared her throat, breaking the silence.

"So, that's all? A kiss?" Elena asked. Considering all the things that Elena had done with Damon while still dating Stefan, a kiss seemed like nothing.

"Yes." Caroline said.

"No." Stefan said at the same time. They both glanced at each other. Elena felt Caroline's guilt starting to diffuse as the truth came out, but she also felt her fear and worry.

"Fine, no. The night you told Stefan about you and Damon, we slept together." Caroline admitted. External silence fell over the room again, but internal thoughts were screaming. Tyler was trying to wrap his mind around everything that was just dumped on him.

"So, you cheated on me." Tyler said matter-of-factly. Caroline's face twisted into a grimace.

"Not exactly," She defended. Tyler cocked his head to the side.

"How is that not cheating, Caroline?!"

"Well, it happened that night we had that huge argument and broke up…before we got back together." Caroline said. Elena perked up.

_"How did I not know any of this?"_ Elena internally questioned. Damon raised his eyebrows and scooted up to where his lips were brushing against her ear.

"You were a little preoccupied," He whispered seductively. Elena's breath caught in her throat at his words. She knew that she was treading on dangerous ground because everything she felt was mirrored on her friends, and Damon was good at riling her up.

Elena could hear her heartbeat heavy in her ears as Damon lightly stroked her thigh with his thumb.

Her friends' thoughts were still loud in her mind. They all seemed a little too preoccupied with their own drama to focus on Damon and Elena, but Elena still didn't want to take any chances. But, she wasn't always in control when it came to Damon.

Suddenly, the jumble of everyone's thoughts stopped and Elena could only hear her own internal dialogue. She perked up, looking around the room. Everyone also noticed the sudden silence.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," Damon mumbled and Elena half-smiled at his humor.

"Is it done?" Matt directed his question towards Bonnie.

"I don't know." Bonnie responded. They all silently looked around the room, waiting for the voices to return. After a while, it seemed like they were finally free.

Damon's hand lingered on her leg, lightly tracing patterns on her skin with his fingers. Elena was thankful that everyone was out of her mind because the thoughts and emotions that plagued her were rather inappropriate.

Her body heated up as thoughts of Damon consumed her senses. She somehow managed to censor her thoughts earlier, but now everything came bursting through the floodgates. She replayed the first full night that she had spent with Damon.

Elena was in the kitchen making tea when Damon surprised her by grabbing her waist and spinning her around.

He kissed her before she could speak. Elena dropped her mug to pull him closer to her. She remembered Damon picking her up and laying her down on the divider, violently pushing everything off of the counter and onto the ground. Things crashed and broke as they hit the floor, but Damon and Elena didn't care—they were too infatuated in each other. Elena leaned up and grabbed Damon by the lapels of his shirt, pulling him back down to her lips. She remembered the anxious, impatient feeling she had from the distance their clothes created between them. So, she ripped his shirt off his body, and he did the same to her.

She remembered all of it—the way his touches went from rough to gentle at just the right moments, the way his kisses left trails of fire lingering on her skin, the way she felt fulfilled and complete when he finally connected their bodies.

She remembered what she whispered to him as he came down from his high and relaxed on top of her—"Why do you feel so inevitable to me?"

"Elena…Elena…" Damon's voice brought her back from her reverie. She jumped at the sudden realization of where she was and cleared her throat.

"Sorry, what?" Elena attempted to act nonchalant. Matt and Bonnie snickered and Elena looked at them, perplexed.

"I think I'm traumatized." Jeremy said, staring at the ground with his hands in his hair. Elena furrowed her brow in confusion. Then, it hit her. Her heart sunk and her cheeks grew hot with flustered embarrassment.

"Yeah…So, apparently it's an 'on' 'off' kinda thing." Bonnie tried to refrain from laughing.

"Oh God, you mean?" Elena asked, looking at Caroline who nodded in confirmation, "All of it?"

"Enough of it," Stefan said with a depressing tone. Elena buried her face in her hands. She had never been more embarrassed in her entire life.

"Okay, so let's just say, no one get hurt and don't let anyone know that we're all linked. I think that covers the gist of it." Elena spoke really quickly. She stood up and began walking out of the room, "I'm going to get out of here before I die of embarrassment."

She marched out of the house, but could still hear Bonnie and Matt laughing uncontrollably. The moment she got out of the house, she realized that her ride was Bonnie.

"Dammit," She muttered.

"Don't worry, I got you," Damon said behind her. Elena turned around and smiled, relieved to see him flipping the keys to the Camaro. He had a giant smug grin planted on his cheeks.

"That was…bad," Elena stated.

"Oh yes. Very, very bad," Damon prowled towards her with a wicked look in his eyes. Elena placed her hand on his sternum to stop him.

"Why didn't you snap me out of it earlier?" Elena asked. Damon raised his eyebrows.

"More importantly, why is there rumor of Elena Gilbert dating Damon Salvatore? Whatever happened to dear Stefan?" A voice sounded behind her. Elena turned around, instantly recognizing the accent.

"Klaus," Elena gasped. Klaus smiled, but it was not friendly or welcoming. This smile was so evil that it looked like it was on the lips of the grim reaper.

"You've made a terrible mistake, Elena."

**A/N: Review please!**


	25. Selfless

"Klaus, you don't want to do this," Elena attempted to reason. Klaus looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, but I do," Klaus said. He sped over to Damon and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up off the ground. Elena gasped at the sudden pain apparent at her throat. Her hand rubbed her throat, but she attempted to maintain her composure because she didn't want Klaus to know about the link, at least not yet. Revealing her connection to her friends' was her last resort. The bond could easily be as deadly as it was beneficial.

"We had a deal!" Elena desperately pleaded. Damon looked at her out of the corner of his eye and Elena met his gaze. The worry and anxiety that was pumping through her veins was excruciating, and Damon could obviously feel all of it. Elena's eyes widened as she watched Klaus tighten his grip on the throat of the love of her life.

"We did, but I'm changing a few details," Klaus smiled wickedly.

"You can't do that!" Elena exclaimed.

"I can, and I did." Klaus released Damon's throat and Damon dropped to the ground. But before Elena could do anything, Klaus drove his hand into Damon's chest.

Damon screamed in agony as Klaus's hand clasped around his heart, and Elena shouted in pain with him. She fell to the ground, clutching at her chest and struggling with breath. Her neck muscles were tensed up as she gritted her teeth, attempting to hold back her screams.

Klaus instantly noticed Elena's reaction and he unclasped his fingers from Damon's heart. Elena inhaled deeply at the sudden let up from the pain. Klaus's hand was still in Damon's body, but he suspended the fatal blow that he was about to deal.

"What's this?" Klaus asked, intently watching Elena. Then, it occurred to him, "You've linked, haven't you?"

"Yes." Elena choked out.

"Not your smartest move, love," Klaus said. He twisted his arm in Damon's body and Elena gasped in pain.

"Just stop…stop!" Elena pleaded from her knees.

"Why should I?" Klaus asked, with laughing eyes, "This is rather amusing."

"Because everything you're doing to us is happening to Caroline!" Elena reasoned. Klaus furrowed his brow at her words. But after a moment, he merely shrugged and twisted his arm yet again.

"She's experienced worse, I'm sure."

Elena shot daggers at him with her glare and narrowed her eyes. She needed to convince him to back down, and she was running out of options. Nothing seemed to be getting to him.

"Katherine's still in town, isn't she?!" Elena asked rhetorically. Klaus's façade softened at her words, but he didn't remove his hand. Elena picked up on his moment of weakness. "Katherine is still in town and she won't be leaving, so it doesn't matter that I'm with Damon. Just, let us have our protection." Elena begged. After a moment, Klaus withdrew his hand. Damon backed up against the wall of the house as to steady himself.

"Just this once, love," Klaus warned, "You got off easy." And just like that, he was gone.

Elena looked at Damon concernedly, and then quickly looked back at the front door of the house.

"Jeremy," She gasped. She ran back through the front door, completely forgetting about her earlier embarrassment. She ran down the hall, and was relieved to hear Damon's footsteps following her. Elena burst through the threshold of the living room to find Matt, Bonnie, and Jeremy all unconscious and bleeding on the floor. Caroline was moving towards Bonnie, biting into her arm to draw blood to heal her best friend.

Instantly, Elena ran over to Jeremy. Damon followed her into the room and Elena gestured towards Matt.

"Damon?" She asked.

"Got it." Damon said, jogging over to Matt while biting his wrist. Elena also bit into her wrist. She held the bleeding wound up to her brother's mouth and whispered to him.

"C'mon, Jer, drink. Please, Jer." Slowly, Jeremy came around and clasped his lips around Elena's wrist. He began gulping down the blood and Elena sighed in relief. Eventually, he pulled away from her and Elena stroked his hair a few times before standing up. She looked across the room to Damon who was wiping his wrist on the bottom of his shirt. Beneath him, Matt was slowly coming to.

Elena took a few quick, long strides to reach Damon. The moment she got to him, she placed her hand gingerly on his chest and met his blue eyes. The concern she had for him emanated around the room.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked.

"Yeah. Are you?" Damon asked, placing his hand on her neck. His eyes scanned her body, looking for damage. Elena smiled at him. She felt an overwhelming amount of love flood her senses. She thought about how Damon always took the time to look out for her, even when his own life was at risk. He truly was selfless when it came to her.

"Yeah." Elena assured. Damon nodded and made eye contact with her again. He wore the expression he usually had when he was concerned.

"You sure?" Damon insisted. Elena chuckled and clasped her hand around his wrist.

"Yes, I'm fine." Elena said with a smile. She stared into the cesspools of his eyes and practically felt her heart melt like hot butter. Damon, feeling the way she felt, smiled at her. Elena quickly glanced between his lips and eyes multiple times, wanting nothing more than to kiss him, but she knew that it would be totally inappropriate considering the situation. Damon, on the other hand, had a complete disregard for the appropriateness of the circumstances.

He leaned forward, closing the distance between their lips. Elena's bottom lip slipped in between Damon's lips and Elena raised her hands to frame his face. Her thumbs brushed against his cheeks lightly. Slowly, she pulled away from his lips and stood silently for a moment, resting her forehead against his. Her breath was steady and she was genuinely content, even considering their recent brush up with Klaus.

"I'm sorry, I just can't do this." Stefan broke the silence. The hurt that he harbored from watching Damon and Elena was so prevalent that it almost drowned out all the other emotions in the room. Stefan began walking away.

"No, wait, Stefan!" Elena begged, trying to stop him.

"Just let him go," Caroline suggested. Elena sighed as she watched Stefan leave.

* * *

That evening, Elena was lying down in Damon's bed, watching him as he worked. He was crossing the room, pulling out books and opening them temporarily before tossing them into a pile. He was looking for possible spells that Katherine could and would cast. He was focusing on love spells, fearing that Katherine would cast one on Stefan and him.

"If she casts a love spell, I will also 'fall in love' with her." Damon grunted, "Again."

"She won't cast a love spell," Elena assured.

"How do you know?" Damon asked, stopping to look at Elena, "It'd be the smart thing to do. She would get Stefan and ruin us at the same time and I'd be on her damn hook again." Damon angrily threw the book in his hand on the pile.

"Damon, she won't cast one because it won't be real." Elena reasoned. She propped herself up against the headboard, "You and I both know a little something about the importance of it being real." Elena alluded. Damon's shoulders relaxed at her words and a small smile momentarily twitched onto his cheeks in nostalgia.

"Katherine's not like you, Elena," Damon argued, "She doesn't care about that kind of stuff."

Elena was exhausted and Damon's obsessive research was beginning to stress her out. She already had an extremely stressful day, and all she wanted to do was curl up with Damon and fall asleep.

"Damon, we can worry about this in the morning."

"Mmm," Damon grunted, intently reading another book.

"Just come here," Elena leaned forward. Damon grunted again, turning the page. Elena rolled her eyes and crawled across the bed. She reached over and grabbed the book out of Damon's hands.

"I was reading that." Damon said jokingly and Elena raised her eyebrows. Damon read her look and smugly smiled. She threw the book to the ground, never breaking eye contact with him.

Then, she crawled back up to the pillows and curled up under the covers. She peeked out from under his silken sheets and smiled. Damon returned the smile and crawled on his hands and knees up to her. He plopped down next to her and Elena snuggled up against his chest. Damon instinctively wrapped his arms around her and Elena inhaled deeply, memorizing his scent.

Elena listened to the steadiness of his breathing and the rhythmic _thump _of his heart. Her eyelids became droopy. Damon was drawing lazy circles on her shoulder, lost in thought.

"Aren't you worried about Katherine getting between us?" Damon's voice barely registered to Elena.

"I'd like to see her try," Elena mumbled against his chest before falling into the best sleep she'd ever had.

**A/N: Sorry about how long it took to update. Happy July! And review please! ****J**


	26. Tabula Rasa

Elena woke up to Damon kissing the crown of her head. She gently lifted her head from his chest to look him in the eyes. He was sitting with his back propped up against the bedframe. His eyes were closed, but he was obviously awake. The light of dawn was barely peeking through the windows. It was still almost fully dark outside.

"What time is it?" Elena mumbled, resting her head against Damon's chest again.

"Early. Go back to sleep." Damon responded. He stroked her hair tenderly and tucked it behind her ear.

"Okay," Elena whispered. She snuggled closer to Damon. She closed her eyes again and was about to fall back into sleep when she felt Damon's body tense up.

"Aw, this is so cute," A voice sounded from the threshold. "I might puke."

Elena immediately awoke. She popped up and turned around quickly to find Katherine leaning against the doorframe. _Maybe we should just stay at my place from now on_, Elena thought sarcastically.

"What do you want, Katherine?" Elena demanded.

"That's for me to know and you to…well, not know." Katherine responded. She pushed herself up from the doorframe and began prowling to the bed. Damon instantly jumped off of the bed and placed himself in between Katherine and Elena. Katherine read his body language and let out a half-hearted laugh.

"Always the protector, aren't you?"

"Leave." Damon growled.

"Does that line usually work?" Katherine asked. Katherine stopped in front of Damon and looked around him to Elena, "I just wanted to send my regrets for your recent breakup."

Elena rolled her eyes at this and Damon gritted his teeth. Katherine looked up at Damon and read his reaction. Instantly, she knew that she breached a touchy subject and used that to her advantage.

"Oh, Damon…I'm sorry for you, too. I mean, feeling all that left over love between your brother and girlfriend…that must be tough." Katherine smiled wickedly. Elena's heartbeat picked up in fear. She instantly knew that Katherine somehow found out about the linking.

"How did you know?" Elena gasped. Damon turned to look at Elena in confusion, and that's when Elena realized that Damon thought she was referring to having left over emotions for Stefan. Elena quickly backpedaled, "No, not that. How did you know about the link?"

Damon's countenance was replaced with understanding and he turned back on Katherine.

"I'm Katherine Pierce. I know everything." Katherine said arrogantly.

"Don't forget 'full of yourself,'" Damon sarcastically raised his eyebrows and Katherine laughed.

"At least I'm not stupid, like your girlfriend." Katherine said, but her smile was quickly wiped off her face as Damon grabbed her by the throat. "Oh Damon, you're so strong." Katherine flirted to bother Elena. And it honestly did work. Elena felt a pang of anger rush through her veins. She territorially walked over to Damon.

"Can I kill her now?" Damon asked Elena.

"You always were so touchy about your women." Katherine said. She placed her hand on Damon's hand and forced him to unclasp her throat. She took a few steps back from him and walked to the fireplace. She stared into the hearth. "Anyway, I'm here to make a point."

"What's that?" Elena asked.

"Of how stupid you are! I mean, honestly, Elena!" Katherine laughed, turning back towards her, "You linked _all _of the people you love. I only really want two of them alive right now…and they both happen to be immortals." Elena silently stared at her, attempting to decipher what Katherine's new plan was. After a moment, Katherine continued, "Come on. You still don't get it? You have three mortals in your little group. They don't heal as quickly as you, fortunately."

That's when Elena caught onto Katherine's plan, but it was too late. Katherine already had a piece of firewood in her hand and she was vamp-speeding over to Elena. Katherine drove the piece of wood directly into Elena's stomach. Elena felt the wood puncture major organs and she gasped, falling to the ground. She groped at the wood and attempted to remove it from her body, but all it did was push the wood up dangerously close to her heart.

Damon lurched at Katherine, but Katherine threw her hands up in the air, stopping him.

"Save your girlfriend or kill me, you only have time for one. You choose." Katherine reasoned. She knew that Damon would choose saving Elena, so she took her chance to run away. Damon gritted his teeth in anger as he watched her go, and then he quickly fell to his knees in front of Elena. He pulled out the slab of wood and threw it onto the floor. Elena's head fell forward onto his shoulder; she was breathing heavily.

"Elena?" Damon asked concernedly.

"Damon," Elena whispered weakly, "Jeremy. Bonnie. Matt. They need vampire blood. We need to—," She tried standing up, but fell back to her knees.

"You need to rest, I've got it." Damon whipped out his phone and dialed Stefan.

"Hello?" Stefan's voice rang over the phone.

"Where are you?" Damon asked.

"Hunting, why?"

"You need to get to Elena's house right now. Jeremy needs vampire blood," Damon said.

"I'm on it." Stefan said. Damon pulled the phone away from his ear and dialed Caroline.

"What do you want?" Caroline rudely picked up her phone.

"Well, hello princess. Matt needs vampire blood. Now." Damon explained.

"I felt that. I'm already on the way. What about Bonnie and Jeremy?" Caroline asked.

"Stef and I have it." Damon hung up the phone before she could say anything else. He stood up and picked up Elena, her legs draped over his arm and her back braced by his other arm. He ran her down to the kitchen and placed her on the counter. He hurriedly went to the fridge and pulled out a blood bag. He handed it to her and she graciously accepted.

"Are you going to be fine?" Damon asked.

"Yes, now go." Elena demanded. Damon nodded and ran out to his Camaro.

He reached Bonnie just in the nick of time. She was lying in her bed, bleeding out. The stake had punctured the stomach. Damon was barely able to rehabilitate her. As she came to, she looked up at him weakly.

"We have to delink…it's just too dangerous," Bonnie whispered, her lips barely moving. Damon nodded in agreement.

* * *

Everyone reconvened an hour later at Elena's house. They strategically chose her house because any unwelcome vampires would have to be invited in by Jeremy.

When Elena walked in, she saw that only half the people were there. Caroline was standing in a corner, talking to Bonnie. She was obviously attempting to be as elusive as possible, considering her recent endeavors with Stefan. Damon was staring existentially out of the window, leaning on his arm that was braced on the wall. Elena was instinctively drawn to him, but she stopped herself, noticing Stefan sitting silently on the couch.

Elena hesitantly altered her course from Damon and slowly walked over to Stefan. She edged her way down to the couch until she was sitting right next to him.

"Stefan?" Elena hesitantly asked, as though the mere sound of her voice would break him.

"What's up?" Stefan asked, turning his attention fully towards Elena.

"I just wanted to say sorry."

The room fell completely silent other than Stefan and Elena's conversation.

"What for?"

"The PDA." Elena said, turning her eyes ashamedly to the floor. "That was…unfair to you." Stefan sighed and nodded his head.

"Thanks," He responded. Elena coughed slightly before nodding and standing up. Stefan caught her by the hand to stop her. Elena looked down at him, "And Elena, I'm not broken, so you don't have to act like I am. I'm fine. Really. In all honesty, when it comes down to it…" Stefan paused. A friendly smile twitched onto his lips, "I'm happy for you two."

"Thanks." Elena smiled back at him. She pulled away and walked over to Damon, who was still staring absentmindedly out of the window. The moment she reached him, she kissed him on the cheek and leaned on the wall adjacent to him, "Hi." She smiled.

"You're looking a little less dead than when I left you." He responded.

"Oh, that's weird, considering how I am actually dead." Elena joked.

"I never would've guessed. You just seem so lively." Damon smiled down at her and she chuckled. Just then, they heard three pairs of footsteps descending the staircase. Jeremy, Matt, and Tyler became visible at the landing.

"Great, we're ready." Bonnie said. She had already positioned the candles in a circle on the ground, obviously very eager to break the link. Everyone assumed a spot behind a candle and watched as Bonnie began the reversal spell.

At first, nothing seemed wrong. It was exactly as it had been when they originally did the linking spell. Even immediately after the spell was over, things appeared to be going well. Elena could no longer hear all the thoughts and feel all the emotions of her friends. She smiled at this realization, feeling like a mountain had just been lifted off of her shoulders. But, her smile was soon wiped away as the screams filled the room.

Stefan started it. He screamed and fell to his knees, clutching his head in his hands. Everyone looked at him with concern, and Caroline immediately ran to his side. Elena was on her way to helping him when Damon began screaming too, calling her attention to him. He fell to his knees and Elena ran over to him, kneeling in front of him.

"What's happening?!" Elena shouted to Bonnie, "What are you doing?!"

"It's not me!" Bonnie responded, "It's another witch!"

"Why is it only affecting them?!" Caroline shouted over the screams.

"Katherine!" Elena immediately knew the conspirator, "It's Katherine!"

A sudden silence fell across the room, drawing everyone's attention back to the Salvatore's. Both brothers' had their head placed between their hands, staring at the ground. Their breathing had begun to steady.

Elena looked around the room confusedly. All of her friends' were silent. Elena sucked in a deep breath, realizing that she would have to be the one to break the silence. She turned her attention back to Damon.

"Damon?" Elena hesitantly asked. She could practically feel everyone hold their breath as they intently watched her and Damon.

Damon slowly raised his head. He looked at Elena and then around the room at all the faces of her friends before his eyes settled back on her. He cocked his head to the side and examined her face. After a moment of just staring, he finally spoke.

"Who are you?"

* * *

**A/N: Please leave some of your thoughts/predictions/comments/whatever in the reviews. I love hearing from you all! **


	27. Loving the Mess

_"Who are you?"_

Those words hung dead in the air. They rang loudly in Elena's ears like funeral bells. They lingered like bile in the back of her throat.

At first, she thought Damon was just playing a joke on her. But, after intently watching his eyes for a few seconds she knew that he was completely serious. No matter what mood Damon was in, every time he would look at Elena he'd always have some lingering light in the back of his eyes. Elena didn't realize the importance of that light until it was gone.

"Seriously, who are you?" Damon asked again. He seemed to be totally weirded-out by Elena. He examined her as closely as she examined him. "You look like Katherine, but somehow I know that you're not."

Elena furrowed his brow at his words. _How can he know who Katherine is, but not me?_

"Damon, I'm your—," Elena was about to explain the situation to him when she felt her arm being yanked back. She turned around in a start to find Bonnie, pulling her back. Elena stood up and stepped away from Damon, "What?!" She whisper-shouted.

"Damon's ability to remember Katherine, but not you ticked me off. I think I know what spell he's under." Bonnie whispered. That caught Elena's attention.

"What?"

"It's a tabula rasa spell. She has recreated his memory. And, I suppose Stefan's too." Bonnie said. Elena looked at her in pure confusion. Bonnie read her expression, "Basically, Katherine took all the memories she wanted and left the ones that she wanted."

"But, how could he tell that I wasn't Katherine?"

"I'm guessing Katherine added a little 'doppelganger differentiator' to the spell." Bonnie paused, "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but that was actually very smart on her part."

"God," Elena sighed. She looked back at Damon, who was slowly looking around the room, rediscovering his surroundings. "We should tell him."

"No!" Bonnie warned. "Memory spells are dangerous. You can't shock him into anything or he could lose everything." Elena listened to Bonnie's words, never looking away from Damon. She felt her heart breaking and reality bleeding through the cracks.

"How do we reverse it?" Elena turned back to Bonnie.

"_We _don't." Bonnie said with a defeated look, "Only the witch who cast it can reverse it."

"So, we find this witch and we get them to reverse the spell. Whatever means necessary."

"Elena," Caroline said, stepping up from Stefan's side and walking over to Bonnie and Elena. She had been listening to the conversation. "We can't…"

"I don't want to hear it, Car," Elena said indefinitely. She looked back at Damon and then at the faces of all her friends' before returning her attention to Caroline, "This is Damon we're talking about. _Whatever means necessary."_

Elena Gilbert had constantly battled with herself on being decisive, but when it came to the well-being of Damon, there was no decision to make. She would always do whatever it took.

Elena began walking away from her friends' and over to Damon, but Caroline's voice temporally stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying a different route." Elena said before walking over to Damon who was still sitting on the ground.

The moment she reached him, he looked up at her.

"Why won't you just tell me who you are?" Damon inquired, obviously getting a little upset.

"I'm Elena," Elena said, reaching out her hand. Damon hesitantly stared at her extended arm before slipping his hand around hers, clasping his fingers in his own. He stood up.

"Elena…" He said, narrowing his eyes at her. For a second, Elena thought that he might be returning to her, but things were never that easy for them. "I'm Damon."

Instantly, the flirtatious side of Damon kicked in. He eyed her with dangerously wicked eyes while he raised her hand to his lips. He left a gentle, warm kiss on Elena's hand that made butterflies flutter in her stomach, much like they did when she met him in the Boarding House.

"I know," Elena said with a little smile, "Believe it or not, we've met before."

"You do seem awfully familiar…" Damon noted, giving Elena some hope; her smile widened, even though her heart was still hurting.

"Walk with me, Damon?" Elena asked, her eyes darting to the door. Damon raised his eyebrows at the suggestion and shrugged his shoulders. He gestured to the door.

"After you," He responded. Elena sighed and led the way out of the house, surprised by how relieved she was that he actually agreed.

* * *

"So, would you care to tell me where you're taking me?" Damon asked, strolling carelessly next to Elena.

"Nowhere in particular." Elena lied, watching him out of the corner of her eye. She didn't want to stop watching him, fearing that she'd lose him forever, or maybe he'd snap back into his memory-filled self for a brief moment and she'd miss it.

"Hmm," Damon grunted.

"So, Damon, do you have any siblings?" Elena casually asked.

"I do, I do. I have a younger brother, Stefan."

_Well, he knows that much._ Elena thought. She needed to take a diagnosis on just how much Damon remembered.

"Oh, Stefan. That's a nice name," Elena awkwardly stated.

"Annoying as hell though," Damon responded and Elena laughed.

"Believe me, I know all about annoying little brothers." Elena joked. It felt surreal to be talking like this with Damon because even though the situation was tough, it was like she had a fresh start with him. It was like she was reversing time, meeting him and falling in love with him first. Often times, Elena had fantasized about having a clean history with Damon, but now that she was in the actual situation, she realized how much she loved their messy history.

"Do you have one?"

"What?" Elena asked, broken from her reverie.

"A little brother?"

"I do." Elena said, "Jeremy."

"How old is he?"

"Seventeen."

"Oh, young." Damon said, almost as though he was shocked.

"Not really," Elena laughed, "You grow up quick when you're surrounded by vampires." Elena noticed the sudden silence from Damon and looked up at him curiously. He was watching her with fascination painting his countenance. His eyes were smiling.

_No awkward response to the vampire thing, so he knows that much._ Elena thought.

"I like you." Damon stated, shaking his finger at her, "You know how to laugh."

Instantly, Elena was transferred back to that moment in the kitchen when he was helping her with the dishes. He had said the same exact thing to her, but it felt completely different. She was temporarily lost in her nostalgia; Damon's voice barely crept into her thoughts.

"That's a lovely necklace," Damon's voice broke Elena from her reverie once again, "Where'd you get it?"

Elena glanced down to the glass raven hanging from her neck. She instinctively clasped it in her hand. She was having trouble finding her voice; the situation proved to be much harder than originally thought.

"A man that I love very, very much gave it to me," Elena struggled with the words. She watched Damon, attempting to read his reaction, to find something—anything that struck a chord. She was met with only indifference.

"Lucky man," Damon said, raising his eyebrows at her flirtatiously. Elena knew that he was just a flirtatious person, but she couldn't help letting more hope sneak into her heart.

"How about you?" Elena asked quickly, "Any girls?"

Damon nodded in response and Elena's heartbeat quickened.

"Who?" Elena pressed.

"Her name's Katherine."

**A/N: Review please!**


	28. Home

"Katherine?" Elena choked out. Damon nodded.

"Katherine Pierce," He clarified.

"I know who she is," Elena said stiffly. Damon stopped in his tracks and looked at her with a knitted brow. Elena continued walking for a bit before realizing that Damon was no longer following her. She stopped and looked back at him. After reading his expression, Elena worried that maybe she had said too much.

"You know Katherine?" Damon asked. Elena cleared her throat.

"Oh yeah, I mean I know _of _Katherine Pierce." Elena backpedaled. "She's infamous."

"She is, isn't she?" Damon chuckled. He turned his gaze up to the sky with a small smile, obviously lost in thought. Elena remembered when he used to think about her with that expression, and seeing it while he was thinking of Katherine bothered and hurt Elena beyond words.

"So, shall we?" Elena quickly pulled him from his reverie and gestured down the road. Damon nodded at her and continued walking. When he caught up with her, she met his stride.

"So, that man you love…" Damon began. Elena's breath caught in her throat, sensing a potentially dangerous topic, "How did you meet?"

Elena carefully navigated her way around the conversation, picking and choosing her words to not give away too much, but still enough to tell the story.

"He was lying in the middle of the road, for God knows what reason," Elena chuckled in nostalgia, "I was at a party, waiting for my parents to pick me up and we just started talking."

"Ahhh," Damon said, "Is this the part where you tell me that it was love at first sight?"

"Hah! No!" Elena laughed, "Quite the contrary." They walked in comfortable silence, both consumed in their own thoughts. Eventually, Damon broke the silence.

"I'd have to say that it was 'love at first sight' for Katherine and me."

Elena rolled her eyes at his words, but she remained silent. She continued walking and Damon followed. She wanted to casually feed information about his real life to him, but she wasn't sure how to do that. She was in dangerous territory—if she gave away too much, Damon's memory could be fried, but she couldn't let him remain in his ignorance. He deserved better than that.

"Well, believe it or not, I do know a little thing about love at first sight." Elena said, running her hand through her hair.

"Who?" Damon pressed.

"My current boyfriend's brother." Elena stated. She watched his reaction, hoping for some spark, but all he did was raise his eyebrows.

"How scandalous of you, Elena," Damon joked and Elena chuckled. "So is it your boyfriend's brother that you love?"

"No, it's my boyfriend," Elena said quickly, "Which is what makes me doubt the validity of 'love at first sight.'" Elena hinted, but Damon didn't catch on.

"I'm confused…which brother are you in love with right now?" Damon asked with a furrowed brow, completely ignoring her previous statement. Elena sighed.

"The older one. I met him first, but he compelled me to forget. Then, I met his younger brother and fell in love with him immediately and dated him for about a year, but oh, how his older brother tortured me." Elena laughed slightly, "He was—_is_ really hard to resist. Eventually, the younger brother and I broke up while he had his humanity turned off. So, I started getting closer to the older brother and next thing I knew, I fell for him." Elena paused, looking up at Damon. He was watching the horizon, listening to her intently. Her voice softened as she put more sincerity behind her words, "I fell hard."

Elena's change in tone caught Damon's attention and he turned his head to look at her. The moment they made eye contact he felt something rush through him, something that he had never felt before. It was like a mix between adrenaline and endorphin—he was elated, and addicted to her eyes.

"Where is he now?" Damon eventually asked, pulling himself back to his reality. He couldn't deny that there was something between Elena and him, but his mind tug at him, repeatedly told him that it was Katherine who he loved.

"Gone, but he'll be back soon."

"Travelling?"

"Something like that." Elena responded. Another silence fell between the two. Elena stared ahead, determined to reach her destination. She was taking Damon to the woods where they reconnected during the annual Mikaelson Ball. She hoped that maybe she could awaken something within Damon that used to exist.

Just then, Damon's phone began ringing. He pulled it out and Elena looked over at his screen. Katherine's picture lit up his screen. Damon's thumb lingered above the 'answer' button. His mind was telling him that he had to answer the phone, but the rest of his being was telling him to keep talking with Elena. Eventually, his mind won him over.

"Hello?" Damon purred into the phone.

Elena usually loved hearing that teasing tone, but now she hated that she wasn't on the receiving end.

"Right now?" Damon continued his conversation, "Ye—no, I mean. It's fine. Yeah. I'm just with Elena. What? Why?" Damon sighed, "Okay, whatever you want. Yes. Okay. Goodbye. I love you too." Damon pulled the phone from his ear and put it back in his pocket.

"Everything good?" Elena asked. She hated it. She hated all of it. She hated listening him talk to Katherine like that. She hated him telling her that he loved her. She hated all that Katherine had done.

"Yeah. I'm just apparently not allowed to talk to you."

"Hmm," Elena said, drawing her lips into a tight line, "Then, why are you still here?"

"Because for some reason, every part of me down to my bones, feels like I can't leave you." Damon responded. He looked down at Elena and Elena looked up at him. His eyes were soft and almost, but not quite, loving. Elena read his expression and felt a small smile twitch onto her cheeks. Damon smiled back at her. But, his smile was quickly wiped away because his phone was ringing again.

Damon looked at the screen and then sighed before picking it up.

"What? Yes, I'll be there soon."

Damon hung up the phone.

"I really do have to go or I'll have one pissed girl on my hands." Damon said before turning around and walking away. Elena watched as he went and she couldn't help but feel that he was a completely different man.

* * *

Later that evening, Elena returned to the Boarding House. She knew that she shouldn't have, but recently it had felt more like home to her than her real home.

She had a key, but that didn't matter because the Salvatores' never locked their door. She walked in easily and strolled through the house, getting nostalgic with each room.

The living room—where Damon promised her he'd never leave her again.

The kitchen—shared kisses on the counter and fingers tracing her every outline.

Damon's bedroom—waking up to his electric blue eyes and soft lips.

Elena couldn't take it. The emotions that were bubbling up within her were just too much. She ran down the stairs and was about to reach the landing when she heard the front door open and slam, sending a loud _boom _echoing around the house. Elena jumped at the noise. She poked her head out over the banister to see a fuming Damon storming to the stairs.

He threw off his jacket and reached the landing. He almost didn't notice Elena. He stopped abruptly right in front of her.

"Elena? What are you doing in my house…?"

Elena opened her mouth to explain, but he shook his head, indicating that he didn't care.

"What's wrong, Damon?" Elena asked concernedly. She placed her hand instinctively on his neck, but quickly retracted it.

"So, after I left you I went to Katherine, right?" Damon began. Elena nodded, "And what do I walk in on?! Katherine and—and Stefan…"

Damon's countenance turned from anger to hurt.

"Together." His voice cracked on the last word.

Elena's instinct was to comfort him with her love, to reassure him of her love, but she knew that she couldn't do that. It was too risky. So, instead, she did what she had done to comfort him many times before.

Elena snuck her hands up and around his shoulders, bringing him into a hug. She rested her chin on his shoulder and inhaled deeply.

At first, Damon just stood there with his arms dangling hanging at his sides. But eventually, he warmed up to the hug and wrapped his arms around Elena's waist. He exhaled in her grip—it was like the moment he let himself relax in her arms, he was home.

Elena pulled away from him slightly until her lips were hovering directly by his. They were breathing somewhat heavily. Elena could hear her heartbeat loud in her ears. The closeness of their lips was sending electric currents to her skin. She had missed this—the closeness, the tension, the drumbeat to the kiss.

Elena didn't want to make the first move, fearing that she'd overwhelm him. So, she waited. Damon wanted to kiss her undeniably, but something was holding him back, something that he couldn't quite decipher.

Just then, Elena's phone rang in her back pocket. She grunted and pulled away from Damon. They both felt a wave of coldness run over their bodies at the sudden distance.

Elena picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's Caroline. I've got some great news!"

"I could really use some of that right now," Elena mumbled.

"Stefan's back!" Caroline exclaimed excitedly. Elena's jaw dropped.

"Stefan's…back?"

"Yep! He's all memory-filled and Stefan-y!"

"But, that can't be." Elena said, still in shock.

"Oookay…" Caroline's voice turned slightly more serious, "I just told you that Stefan's back and you sound like you just got hit by a train, and then a car, and then a jet, so why?"

Elena hesitated and looked back over her shoulder at Damon who was leaning patiently against the stairwell. His brow was furrowed in thought and he was gritting his teeth angrily, obviously still thinking about the scene he walked in on earlier.

Elena sighed before speaking.

"Because Damon's still gone."

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! I've been busy! Review please!**


	29. Come Back to Me

It seemed like forever since Elena had actually woken up in her own bed. She had practically moved in with Damon, and now that he was gone, she had to return to her 'home.'

Elena turned over and slowly opened her eyes, expecting to see the same large room with a warm interior, but all she saw was the room that she used to call her own. At the sudden realization of her depressing reality, Elena felt unbelievably down. She inhaled deeply and clutched her knees to her chest, hoping that maybe the pressure could fill the hole in her heart.

All she wanted to do was lay in her bed all day. She didn't want to think anymore, to feel anymore. Reality was just too hard.

Time seemed to lapse as she just rested there, staring absently at the ceiling. She could still see those electric blue eyes on the back of her eyelids like an old movie. Elena knew that she had made some progress with Damon, but it was such a struggle for her to even engage him anymore. Every interaction with him was an uphill battle.

At around noon, Elena heard a soft rumble on her door. She lifted her head from the pillow and looked at the closed door. After a moment of just staring, she sighed and then let her head fall back to the pillow.

Eventually, she heard the door open without her permission.

"Elena?" Caroline's voice hesitantly asked.

"What?" Elena mumbled grumpily.

"How are you doing, honey?" Caroline edged her way into the room.

"Mmm," Elena grunted in response.

"Elena, we're worried about you," Jeremy's voice drifted to her ears. She lifted her head up to look at him and was surprised to find almost all of her friends' standing at the threshold of her room—Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, and Stefan. Stefan was carrying a tray with homemade breakfast on it. When Elena's eyes fell on him, she practically felt her heart crumble.

"Why are you back, but not him?" Elena begged for an answer. She felt tears forming, but she forced herself to will them away.

"I know it's not your ideal situation—," Stefan began.

"Ideal situation?!" Elena interrupted, "My boyfriend doesn't remember who I am!"

"Elena, calm down." Stefan stepped over to her bed and sat on the mattress. He placed the breakfast on her lap and placed his hand comfortingly on her knee momentarily before retracting it. Elena looked down at the gesture and sighed.

"I'm sorry," Elena said. She ran her fingers through her hair, "I'm just really stressed out."

"I understand."

"Do you?" Elena looked at him, "Have you ever looked at the love of your life and have them look at you with complete indifference?" She rhetorically asked.

"Yes," Stefan instantly responded. He stared at her intently and Elena instantly knew what, or rather who, he was referring to—her.

"But, what brought _you _back, but not Damon?" Elena quickly changed the subject. Stefan looked down at the covers and Elena sighed, "I mean, isn't the spell kinda like a link? Whatever happens to you happens to him?"

"Supposedly," Bonnie interjected, "But, there are elements—."

"What elements?" Elena interrupted, "_What _is the difference between you and him?"

"Love," Stefan responded. Elena furrowed her brow at him. He read her expression and explained, "Damon has always loved Katherine more intensely than me…I think there's a possibility that Katherine had somehow latched onto the love that Damon still possesses for her, and the spell is just feeding off of it."

Elena cocked her head to the side at his words. She felt her heart clench. She bit the inside of her cheeks as a rush of anger washed through her system.

"Are you really telling me right now that Damon—my _boyfriend_—is still in love with his ex?" Elena asked. Stefan opened his mouth to reply, but Elena lifted her hand up to create a make-shift wall, cutting him off, "That was rhetorical."

She looked up at the faces of all her friends' silently waiting in the doorway.

"Could you guys give us a moment?"

"Yeah, of course. We'll be downstairs." Matt said. He led the group out into the hallway and down the stairs. After they left, Elena turned her attention back to Stefan.

"Elena, I'm not saying that he doesn't love you, I'm just saying that he also loves Katherine."

"I know what you're saying," Elena responded, "But I don't buy it."

"It's not easy to let go of someone you love," Stefan hinted, giving Elena a subtle side-glance.

"You know as much as I do how Damon is. He loves. He loves fiercely, and he also hates fiercely. I receive the love, Katherine receives the hate." Elena blatantly ignored his hint, figuring that now was not the time to engage that conversation, "That's just the way it is."

Stefan skeptically drew his lips into a tight line.

"We might never get him back."

"I'm not giving up on him, if that's what you're suggesting."

"It's a possibility." Stefan argued.

"No, it's not. You're back, so there's obviously a way. What did you do last night?" Elena interrogated.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Stefan lied, and Elena temporarily believed him until she remembered her moment with Damon the night before.

"That's not true. Damon told me that he walked in on you and Katherine," Elena declared. Stefan sighed and turned his eyes back down to the covers. Elena read his look, "You slept with her, didn't you?"

"I was under a spell, Elena," Stefan defended.

"I'm not blaming you. I just need to know. Did you sleep with her?" Elena pleaded. She reached out and grabbed his hand, attempting to create a safe environment. Stefan looked down at the gesture and sighed.

"I did." Stefan admitted. Instantly, a light bulb went off in Elena's head, something she was surprised she didn't come up with earlier.

"Then, I've got an idea." Elena looked at Stefan with newly brightened eyes, "I need you to call Damon and get him over here anytime this evening. Can you do that for me? Please?"

Stefan hesitated.

"Of course…Anything for you." He said, even though he was upset by Elena's incessant attentiveness to his brother.

* * *

Elena had spent the next hours getting ready—taking a shower, brushing her teeth, shaving her legs, getting dressed. She was impatiently waiting for Damon to come by. After she finished everything she had to do, she plopped down on her bed and stared out the window to the front lawn, fidgeting nervously.

She didn't know why she was anxious—maybe because she never thought of herself as a bold person and what she was about to do was extremely bold. But, Damon made her comfortable, even without his memories, so why was she so nervous?

To take her mind off of it, she pulled out her old diary. It hadn't been opened in almost a year. Instead of writing an entry, Elena decided to reread her old entries.

_Dear Diary,_

_Damon is absolutely the most terrible creature to ever inhabit the earth._

_Dear Diary,_

_Damon did something totally reckless and impulsive, yet again._

_Dear Diary,_

_Why can't I stop thinking about Damon? _

_Dear Diary, _

_Damon kissed me…and I liked it._

_Dear Diary,_

_I kissed Damon…what is going on with me?!_

Elena chuckled at how even when she hated Damon, her diary was pretty Damon-centric. Just then, Caroline's voice called up to Elena from below.

"Elena! He's here!"

Elena quickly stood up and jogged over to the window. She looked down at the lawn to find Damon walking from his Camaro to her group of friends' convened on the front porch. Elena took in a sharp intake of breath and adjusted her shirt before sighing, her eyes never leaving Damon.

"Please come back to me," Elena whispered to herself before turning around and walking down the stairs.

She walked with confidence. She knew that she couldn't stop. If she stopped, she might go back on her decision. She was already nervous enough; she didn't need to give her mind time to talk her out of it. She decided that it was about time to blindly follow her heart and instincts rather than overthinking everything.

Elena burst through the front door and began taking quick strides in the direction of Damon.

"I'm sorry about this, guys," Elena muttered to her friends'.

"What?" She heard Caroline ask.

"What is she doing?" Bonnie asked.

"Elena—!" Stefan called after her, but he was quickly cut off, stunned by the scene in front of him.

Elena marched right up to Damon and pulled him down to her lips in a fumble of passion. Damon was taken aback at first, but he quickly melted into the contact.

Elena snuck her hands onto the bare skin of his stomach, feeling his abs underneath her fingertips. Elena lifted her arms up his torso, bringing his tight black t-shirt with her. She broke from the kiss and quickly pulled off Damon's shirt, throwing it carelessly to the grass. She took a moment to drink him up with her eyes while wearing a wicked smile. _God, I missed this. _Elena thought before reconnecting their lips.

She steadily began pulling him into her house. She didn't even notice the looks of disgust and shock on her friends' faces as she passed them. She was too infatuated in Damon.

As the stumbled up the stairs, Damon broke the kiss.

"Elena, I can't—."

"Less talking, more kissing." Elena demanded, pulling him back to her lips. Damon roughly grabbed Elena around the waist and pulled her close to him, temporarily losing himself, but he quickly released her.

"Elena, I can't—Katherine—."

"Damon, stop thinking," Elena said with complete sincerity, placing her hand tenderly on his cheek. She looked deeply into the cesspools of his eyes, "Follow your instincts."

Damon hesitated before taking her advice. He followed his instincts, and all of his instincts were telling him to consume her.

Elena wasn't even sure how they got into her room, but they somehow did. She knew that she needed to make this night of passion with Damon more intimate than ever if she wanted to bring him back. So, they did some things that they'd rarely done. Like, he bit her during the act—something they've only done twice.

Afterwards, Damon collected her in his arms and kissed her forehead. Elena was about to see if her plan worked, but by the time she had collected her thoughts he had fallen asleep. Elena sighed and kissed the bare skin of his chest directly in front her lips. Right before she fell asleep those same words drifted through her mind—_come back to me._

**A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	30. You

Elena woke up with a jolt, extending her limbs to stretch across the bed. She had a dream that she slept through her alarm clock and it was the first day of school. Elena instantly relaxed when she realized where she was and let out a little sigh-laugh. She found it funny how she had a nightmare about being late to school considering the life she lived.

"Ow," His voice sounded right next to her as her elbow jabbed into his back. _His _voice. _He_ was actually there. Elena felt a little smile crawl across her cheeks—she had really missed waking up next to Damon.

"Sorry," Elena said with false sincerity. She turned on her side and looked at Damon. He was resting his head on the pillow and his eyes were still closed, but the smug smile on his cheeks deceived the theory that he was asleep. He had that unbelievably hot just-woke-up hair that drove Elena absolutely nuts. She ran her fingers over the black fuzz of his head before placing her hand on his bare bicep.

Damon slowly began lifting his head. He turned his head towards her and opened his eyes. Elena felt suspended in the moment: dreading, yet somehow anxious for his reaction. She needed to know if he was back, if he had returned to her.

Damon narrowed his eyes and intently examined her face.

"Who are you?" Damon asked.

The moment those words fell from his mouth, Elena felt her heart break. This time her heartbreak was so intense that for a moment, she feared she would never be able to repair it. She didn't know what to say. She was so sure that her plan would work, but apparently, it had actually been counterproductive. Elena struggled for words, wondering what one would even say in this situation.

Eventually she choked out a whispered:

"No."

Damon quickly read her reaction and brushed his thumb against her cheek. His typical, small, happy smile extended over his cheeks.

"Hey, hey. I was just kidding. Don't you worry, Elena Gilbert."

Elena let out a huge puff of breath and felt the pain on her heart let up. She stared into the blue of his eyes, searching. She still didn't know if he had regained all his old memories. After a moment, the shock of the moment disappeared and Elena realized just what he said. He said 'Elena Gilbert.' He said 'Gilbert.' Elena never told memory-less Damon what her last name was.

"Damon?!" Elena exclaimed, overly excited. Damon flinched at her volume.

"Yeah. Jeez. You just got me back. You don't want to blow out my eardrums now, do ya?" Damon asked with his smug smile and all Elena wanted was to wipe that smile off his cheeks. So she did. By pulling him in for a long kiss. The covers adjusted to where Elena's bare legs were left to the cold of the room as Damon crawled on top of her.

Elena broke the kiss.

"I'm so mad at you right now," Elena said with a large smile that contradicted her words. She pecked his lips.

"What's new?" Damon asked. Elena cut him off by joining their lips yet again. Elena was so overwhelmed with joy. A single tear escaped from her closed eyelids and slid down her cheek. Damon pulled away and kissed away the tear. He lips lingered on her cheek and Elena closed her eyes, wanting to experience every sensation while with him.

"I missed you so much," Elena whispered. Damon lifted his lips from her cheek and perched himself up on his elbows to look at her full-on. The moment they made eye contact, Elena felt heat burst through her body from pent up frustration, love, and longing.

"I missed you too," Damon responded.

"How? You were gone." Elena brushed her thumb across his bottom lip, finding it too appealing to leave alone.

"No I wasn't," Damon said matter-of-factly. Elena cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow. Damon read the look and explained, "I've been here this whole time, hovering behind my own eyes, but unable to actually come fully forward. It was hell."

"But, what? Why? How is that even poss—?"

"You." Damon stated. Elena's face relaxed at his words and she didn't even need any more of an explanation. His love for her and the fact that she returned his love was enough to keep him clinging onto the world that held their happiness.

Elena leaned up and kissed him again, pulling him as closely to her body as possible. She hiked her leg up and around his back. Damon placed his hand on her thigh and ran his fingers lightly up to her waist. The contact made Elena flush with heat.

"Doors exist for a reason, lovers," Jeremy's voice sounded from the threshold of Elena's bedroom. Elena broke from Damon's lips and looked over his shoulder to see her brother. She felt a blush crawl to her cheeks. _How many times is this going to happen? He's probably scarred for life._ Elena thought.

"We were busy," Damon grunted. His eyes scanned the parts of Elena's body that he could see and he seductively licked his lips, "We _are_ busy."

"Right, well," Jeremy said, awkwardly shuffling his feet. "It's good to have you back, Damon."

Damon perked up at Jeremy's words and turned around to face him. Damon sat back down on the bed and leaned his back against the bedframe. Elena scooted up too and relaxed in the crevice of his arm, holding the sheet tightly against her bodice for coverage.

"Did you just say something nice to me?" Damon asked, "Are you okay? Do you have a fever?"

"Haha, no." Jeremy chuckled, "I just figured that I might as well learn to put up with you. I mean, you might be my brother-in-law someday."

"Hmm," Damon responded.

"Also, Elena was miserable without you." Jeremy added.

"Oh, I knew that part," Damon raised his eyebrows at Elena and she jokingly slapped his chest. Jeremy watched the interaction and a smile crept onto his cheeks.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're back." Jeremy said.

"Me too, baby Gilbert, me too." Damon responded, pressing his lips against the crown of Elena's forehead. She sighed in contentment. Jeremy, happy to see his sister so happy, left the lovers alone, figuring they needed some time to catch up.

**A/N: Noooo, that was not the last chapter. I'm going to estimate about 3 more chapters. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	31. Reunion

"I hate family reunions."

"It's not a family reunion, Damon." Elena stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. She had already showered and was fully clothed; Damon on the other hand, was still lying in bed wearing nothing except a sheet.

"Same concept. Reunite with a group of people that you're forced to be civil with, play nice until a fight breaks out and we all decide that we will only make the reunion an annual thing," Damon stood up and tossed the sheet back onto the bed. He picked up his pants from the floor and made eye contact with Elena in the mirror, "I might actually prefer being memory-less again."

Elena scoffed.

"I bet there are things that you'd rather be doing," Elena's eyes panned down his body and she raised her eyebrows before looking back at herself in the mirror, "I'm _positive_ that there are things that you'd rather be doing, but I think it's important that we do this."

"You know what I think?" Damon prowled predatorily towards her. Elena stopped everything she was doing when she noticed Damon's movement towards her. She slowly placed her hairbrush back on her dresser and swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

"What?" Elena's voice came out weaker than she expected.

"I think we should stop thinking about obligations and start thinking about new positions," Damon whispered, he was suddenly directly behind her. His mouth was right by her ear and his eyes were locked with hers in the mirror.

Damon's hand slowly snuck to the bottom of her shirt. His fingers toyed with the fabric and he steadily began lifting it up her torso, his skin soft against hers.

"Damon…"

"Do you want me to stop, Elena?" Damon asked, his eyes abnormally piercing and blue in the light.

"No," Elena admitted.

"Good," Damon whispered, fully grabbing the bottom of her shirt and lifting it over her head. He spun her around to face him and pressed her back against the dresser. He tossed her shirt carelessly to the dresser and smiled wickedly down at Elena.

Elena immediately responded by lifting her lips up to his. She began kissing him gently and slowly. Damon's hand travelled down the side of her torso to her waist and he hooked his thumb in the waistline of her jeans.

Elena began growing impatient, even though she knew that everyone would be showing up soon for a debriefing, she couldn't seem to control herself. Elena placed her hands on his abs and turned him around so he was pinned against the dresser. A primal growl rumbled in the back of her throat.

She had missed the feeling of his skin pressed against hers, the feeling of mutual love and attraction, the feeling of his expert hands exploring her body.

"Oh, Elllenn—a—OH!" Caroline's voice sounded from the threshold of Elena's room, interrupting the couple. Apparently, they had forgotten to close the door again. Caroline was standing dumbfounded with her mouth agape. She stared in shock at the naked Damon with the partially-naked Elena.

Damon's cheeks were painted with his usual smug smile. He noticed where Caroline was staring.

"Like what you see, Blondie?"

"Damon—." Elena said, grabbing her shirt off the dresser and using it to cover her boyfriend.

"What?! No, ew, Damon! Not interested!" Caroline's words came out at a rapid speed.

"You seemed pretty interested," Damon wiggled his eyebrows. Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Elena knew they were joking around, but she couldn't help but feel a little jealous and territorial about the blue-eyed, black-haired vampire that was braced against her back.

"Alright enough," Elena demanded, handing her shirt over to Damon to cover himself up. Damon sensed her jealously and smiled at her—it was still surreal that Elena Gilbert got jealous over him. "We're going downstairs. You, Mr. Salvatore, should get dressed."

"I'm going naked."

"Damon," Elena said, looking at him disapprovingly.

"Okay, okay, grumpy pants." Damon teased. Elena tried to maintain her upset façade, but she couldn't help but let a small crawl across her cheeks.

"See ya down there," Elena said, pecking him on the lips before grabbing another shirt out of her dresser and taking a few quick strides to where Caroline was standing. Elena pulled the shirt over her head and together, they walked down the hallway and descended the stairs.

"That was disgusting," Caroline eventually said.

"Yeah…sorry about that." Elena chuckled and sat down on the couch. Just then, the doorbell rang. Elena began standing up to get it, but Caroline gestured for her to stay down.

"I've got it," Caroline said, walking over to the door. She opened it to find Stefan. The two looked at each other and then quickly looked down at the floor. Stefan awkwardly shuffled his feet and Caroline bit her bottom lip the way she did when she was uncomfortable. It was awkward between them ever since they confessed.

"She's back there," Caroline eventually broke the silence.

"Oh yeah, um, thanks." Stefan cleared his throat and entered the house. He quickly walked over to Elena and sat down next to her on the couch. Caroline followed him in. The three of them rested in a void of uncomfortable silence until Caroline finally spoke again.

"Hey, Elena, I haven't eaten at all today. Do you mind if I—?"

"No, of course not, help yourself. They're in the fridge." Elena gestured towards the kitchen. Caroline nodded and walked off down the hallway. The moment she left, Elena turned her attention to Stefan.

"So…" Elena hesitated, attempting to fill the silence.

"So," Stefan repeated. His green eyes watched her intently and Elena couldn't help but feel a little squirmish under his gaze. Just a year ago, she would've been completely content in his eyes. But, that was a year ago, and that was when she hadn't yet found comfort in electric blue eyes.

"How are you?" Elena spat out.

"I think we should talk." Stefan said at the same time. Silence fell across the room again and Elena smiled timidly at him. Stefan smiled back, "I'm good, thanks. And you?"

"Great, yeah." Elena responded, "So, what about talking?"

"Well, I think we should talk about what happened last night…" Stefan alluded. Elena cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow in pure confusion. Stefan instantly picked up on her confusion and Elena watched as a little bit of light escaped from his previously sparkling eyes. "Last night?" Stefan asked. Elena cocked her head to the other side, "When you came to me…"

"What?" Elena interrupted.

"You told me that seeing the amount of love Damon still has for Katherine bothered you and made you realize where your heart truly lied?" Stefan asked. Elena's heart sunk at his words—not because she said them, but because she knew who did, and she knew she would have to reject Stefan...yet again. Stefan interpellated her silence. "You told me that you still loved me, how can you not know that?"

"Because it wasn't me, Stefan," Elena struggled through the words. She hated having to hurt him all over again. She watched as the hope faded from the green of his irises and sadness crept back in.

"Then, who was it?" Stefan asked, even though he already knew the answer. He wanted to hear it, he needed to hear it.

"Katherine," Damon's voice sounded from the stairwell. He was steadily shuffling down the stairs. His hair was wet and water trickled down his cheeks, making him almost angelic. He was wearing black jeans that hung low on his hips and an opened button-up shirt. Elena watched as he descended the stairs and walked over to her. He rested his hand on the back of her neck and bent down to kiss the crown of head.

Elena instinctively smiled and closed her eyes at the contact. When she opened her eyes, she saw Stefan. He had watched the entire gesture and was trying (and failing) to hide his pain. Elena's smile was quickly wiped off her face.

"Katherine…" Stefan repeated. "But why would she—?"

"It was her final hoo-rah! Her big finish. Her bang…literally," Damon said sarcastically, as if the answer wasn't obvious.

"You mean she's—?"

"Gone? Yes." Damon interrupted Elena before she could finish her question, "Which can only mean one thing…"

Damon glanced in between Elena and Stefan until finally it occurred to Elena what he was alluding to. Fear pumped through her veins and she turned to look Damon full-on.

_I can't lose you again._ Elena thought, but all she said was, "Klaus."

Damon met her eyes and nodded slowly.

"I'll betcha that we're about to get a house visit from a really pissed off Original."

* * *

**AN: sorry it took so long to update, I've been busy. Review please!**


	32. Hearts

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Please review after reading and if you would like your review to be personally responded to, put a * before your review and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Enjoy!**

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Elena asked.

"Survive, like always." Damon responded, brushing a strand of her straight brown hair off of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"But, how?" Elena was still worried. She was worried because she had finally found the one person that had started a fire within her that would never die, and the risk of losing him permanently scared her unbelievably.

"I'm working on it," Damon responded. Elena pursed her lips and furrowed her brow at his response.

Damon read her look. It was the look she wore when she was anxious and trying to find answers in him.

"Damon, tell me what you're thinking," Elena insisted, grabbing his hand and stroking the back of it with her thumb. Damon looked down at the gesture and a small smile crawled across his cheeks. He made eye contact with Elena again. His blue eyes were soft and loving. Elena felt comforting warmth flush her skin as she stared at him.

"I'm thinking about how damn lucky I am to be loved by you," Damon responded.

This was not the answer that Elena was looking for, but at the same time, it was exactly what she wanted to hear. Elena felt suspended in the moment, lost in the confines of their temporary tunneled world. He was all she could see. He was all she could ever need.

Elena returned the smile before bringing them back to reality.

"You know what I mean, Damon. What are we going to do about Klaus?"

Damon's lips steadily turned down into a straight line as he stood, temporarily lost in thought. Eventually, he came up with an action plan.

"We could hit the highway," Damon said confidently. Elena scoffed and laughed, rolling her eyes at him. She thought that he was joking, but he kept his face straight. Elena quickly realized that he was completely serious.

"Oh come on Damon, you know I can't do that."

"Why not?" Damon insisted, narrowing his eyes flirtatiously at her, "You and me. Alone in the Camaro, living as nomads. We could be the vampire version of Bonnie and Clyde." Damon winked at Elena and she smiled in response.

"I'd love to just uproot and leave with you," Elena began, "But, I can't do that. I have Jeremy. And Caroline, and Tyler, and Matt, and Bonnie, and Stefan." Elena paused temporarily on Stefan's name, reading Damon's reaction. Damon seemed impassive so she continued, "We'd be safe, but they wouldn't."

Damon pursed his lips at her words. He knew that she was right; he knew that she would never leave her whole life behind, no matter what the consequences.

"Hey yeah, saviors?" Caroline interrupted Damon and Elena. "Do you mind if we have a say in our fate too?" They both turned their heads towards her.

Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, and Stefan were all present. Tyler decided against attending; he needed some time away from Caroline and Stefan.

"By all means, Blondie, blow us away." Damon sarcastically gestured to the group. Caroline raised her eyebrows at him sassily before speaking.

"I say we stay and fight. Outsmart him, like we usually do," Caroline argued.

"Yes, why can't we just fight the 1000 year old vampire-werewolf hybrid?" Damon paused, turning his nose sarcastically up at the ceiling, "Oh yeah, that's right. Because we'd die."

"We could do without the sarcasm," Stefan interjected.

"Do you even know me?" Damon retorted. Elena smiled at the playfulness of the conversation. Damon and Stefan had been so hostile towards each other for so long that even the smallest moments of joking was something that she cherished.

"We could all run," Jeremy perked up, obviously ignoring the little tangent that they had gotten on.

Everyone's attention turned to Jeremy. He looked up at Elena and the moment they made eye contact it was as though they had some mutual understanding. Jeremy wrapped his arms around Bonnie and pulled her closer to him, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Elena watched the display of love and felt her heart swell. She loved it when the people she cared about were happy. The public display of affection made Elena feel empty. She desired Damon's touch again.

Damon must have read her thoughts. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Elena's waist. Elena leaned into him, feeling his warmth encapsulate her. She could smell the smoke from the fireplace lingering on his leather jacket, the same fireplace that resided in the place that had become her home.

"We can't run." Elena argued.

"Why not?" Jeremy asked.

"Because that's not a good lifestyle. That's not the lifestyle for us."

"The lifestyle we live now is not the lifestyle for us." Jeremy insisted. He looked at his sister with complete sincerity, "You're a vampire. You're dating a 170 year old reformed serial killer vampire. I'm dating a witch. Your best friend is a vampire who is dating a hybrid. We are in a constant battle against either the Original hybrid or a 500 year old vengeful ex-girlfriend. Our life is insane as it is, running wouldn't hurt anything…" Jeremy paused, his eyes switched to Damon, "Staying would."

Elena's eyes darted up to Damon as well and she sighed. She knew that Jeremy was right, but she wasn't happy about it.

It would be bittersweet to leave Mystic Falls. On one end, she suffered so much pain in Mystic Falls—the death of her parents, Jenna, and even herself. On the other end, she was born and raised in Mystic Falls, she had always thought of it as home.

Elena felt Damon tighten his grip on her and she inhaled deeply, letting every part of him overwhelm her. She felt so content in his arms. She felt so powerful to the point where she felt almost invincible. She felt so safe, like nothing in the universe could break her.

That's when Elena realized that no matter where she travelled, as long as she was with Damon, she would always be at home.

"Okay," Elena finally conceded. She looked around at the solemn faces of her friends, subtly asking for consent.

Jeremy and Bonnie nodded at her in agreement. Matt and Caroline were more hesitant with their nods, but they eventually gave in. All that was left was Stefan. Elena looked at him and he looked up at her. His green eyes darted between his ex-girlfriend and brother, obviously fighting some internal battle. Eventually, he nodded as well.

"Let's go," Stefan said.

* * *

They all left that evening. The escape from Mystic Falls was considerably planned out: they would only take three cars, pack lightly, take back roads, and avoid any interactions with other people in the town. Matt was driving his truck with Caroline and Stefan; they were tasked with hauling all the luggage. Tyler, Bonnie, and Jeremy were in Bonnie's hybrid and of course Elena and Damon took the Camaro.

Right before everyone departed they decided that Damon would lead the way; or rather, Damon decided that Damon would lead the way.

Damon and Elena were silently driving down an empty highway, Damon going way over the speed limit. Elena had been giving Damon side-glances the whole trip, desperately wondering where he was taking them. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay, where are we going?" Elena huffed, tapping her fingers against the armrest. Damon raised his eyebrows and looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his typical smug smile plastered on his cheeks.

"It's a surprise," Damon responded. Elena nodded and looked back out her window temporarily before huffing again and turning back to him.

"Tell me."

"Someone's impatient."

"Yes, I am impatient. I want to know. Where are you taking us?" Elena insisted.

"It's a surprise," Damon repeated. Elena sighed and pursed her lips.

"You're a pain in the ass, ya know?" Elena rhetorically asked. Damon nodded and shrugged.

"But I'm _your _pain in the ass."

Elena smiled at those words and leaned over the divider until her lips were hovering only an inch above his ear.

"And I wouldn't want it any other way," Elena whispered. She loved being able to call him hers. She watched as his lips twitched up into a slightly bigger smile. In response, she pecked him on the cheek before falling back into her seat. They sat in silence for a while, staring at the empty, large highway that was unfolding before them. On each side of the car, there were vast plains—miles on end of brown wheat dancing in the wind.

"Do you remember when I said I wished you had met me in 1894?" Damon broke the silence. Elena looked at him in confusion—she was confused about what made him ask that question.

"Of course I do, that was our first kiss." Elena paused, temporarily lost in nostalgia, "Why?"

"Because the memory-less Damon that you met was the closest you will ever get to knowing 1894 Damon," He stated, his eyes absently watching the road.

"Mmm," Elena responded. She stared at him in silence for a moment.

Damon tore his eyes from the road to stare back at her and that's when Elena realized that he was searching for her reaction to 1894 Damon.

"Well, if that was what you were like in 1894," Elena paused, "I'm glad I met you when I did."

Elena could see his electric blue eyes soften at her words. She could see the way her validation settled over his being—a light was excited within him because Elena Gilbert loved him for who he was now, not who he secretly always thought he should be. Damon knew she loved him, but he always had some subconscious desire to make himself 'better' for her. Now he realized that he was already perfect in her eyes, and nothing was more relieving to him.

"Honestly, that guy was a prick," Elena added and Damon let out a small laugh.

"He was, wasn't he?" Damon responded and Elena laughed with him. Slowly, Elena's eyes drifted from Damon to the road and when they did, Elena gasped in surprise and fear.

"Damon!" Elena shouted, grabbing his attention. Damon's eyes quickly darted back to the highway and he slammed on the brakes. The car came to a screeching halt.

In the middle of the highway, Klaus stood with a demonic grin and angry eyes.

Damon utilized his quick reflexes. His hands were like a blur as he switched gears to reverse and looked over his shoulder.

Damon was about to accelerate when he was violently thrown from the car. No matter how quick Damon was, Klaus was faster. Klaus grabbed Damon roughly by the throat and slammed him against the Camaro, pinning him against the car.

Elena rushed out of the car and around to the side where the event was occurring. She saw the fear in Damon's eyes as he hysterically clawed at Klaus's hand, gritting his teeth painfully hard as he tried to get some leverage against Klaus. But, Klaus was way too strong. Elena could practically see the anger pulsing through Klaus. Instantly, she knew that Klaus meant business.

Elena jumped to action, the thought of losing Damon permanently too terrible to bear. She would do everything within her power to prevent that from happening and she prayed that it would be enough.

"Klaus! Let him go!" Elena shouted.

"Sorry love, but I have a threat to fulfill," Klaus responded, tightening his grip on Damon's throat. He smiled wider as Damon struggled more.

"You don't need to do this," Elena attempted to reason with him, but her attempts were futile. Klaus drove his free hand into Damon's chest and clasped his hand around Damon's heart. Elena's eyes widened and her heartbeat was deafening in her ears. Her mind desperately searched for alternatives.

Eventually, her mind settled on an extremely rash decision. She ran with vampire speed to the trunk of the Camaro and quickly threw open Damon's leather bag. Inside, there was a litany of stakes and vervain grenades, among other things. Elena grabbed the nearest stake and stepped back into view.

"Klaus!" Elena shouted, calling his attention to her. The Original hybrid turned his head in her direction. Elena lifted the wooden stake and held it directly above her heart, "Let him go or I'll kill myself."

Damon widened his eyes at Elena as if saying 'no! Drop it,' but Elena ignored the look. She was set in her decision—she would do anything if it meant keeping Damon alive. Elena resolved a long time ago that an angry Damon was better than a dead Damon, and nothing would break her from that resolution.

Unfortunately, Klaus seemed unphased by her attempt. In fact, he laughed at her.

"Do it," He said impassively. Elena's heart dropped at his words, "Sorry to disappoint, but your doppelgänger blood doesn't hold power over me anymore. I've come to a realization," Klaus paused and turned his nose up sarcastically, as though he was some enlightened being ingesting knowledge from the sky, "I let you get away with too much. It's starting to make me seem…weak. And I don't like to be perceived as _weak_." He spat out the last word.

"But, I'm the last doppelganger!" Elena reasoned, "Who's blood will you use for your spells? Your hybrids?" Elena spoke rapidly, adrenaline pumping through her veins instead of blood.

"Believe it or not, love, the universe does not revolve around you." Klaus chuckled once again. His eyes turned back to Damon, "Hmm, I can't say that I'll miss you. I've been waiting for a long, long time to do this."

And with those final words, Klaus jerked his hand back, yanking Damon's heart free from his chest. Damon's heart fell from Klaus's hand and with one final, wicked smile, Klaus ran off.

Elena felt like the whole world slowed. She watched dumbfounded as Damon fell to his knees, thin veins beginning to crawl up his skin. Elena rushed over to Damon's side and pulled him into her arms. Hot tears began running down her cheeks.

The veins were travelling slowly, but surely, up his skin, ingesting every inch of his being. She watched as the electricity in his blue eyes faded into absentee nothingness, she watched as the love that glazed his irises slowly disappeared. She watched as her Damon disappeared, leaving only a shell.

There was no worse pain than watching the love of her life permanently slip from her life.

"No," Elena whispered, tears rolling off her cheeks and splashing onto his suddenly cold face. She placed her hands on either side of his face the way she'd did when she first told him 'I love you.' She gently shook him, "Damon, no, please, no, no!"

The tears were falling uncontrollably now.

Elena Gilbert had suffered much loss in her lifetime, but none of which hurt to the extent losing Damon Salvatore did. She felt like her entire being had been ripped in two. She felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest when his was—in fact, she wished that it had.

Elena grasped at Damon's shirt and clutched his lifeless body closer to chest, hoping that maybe the feeling of his body would help fill the hole that dominated her heart, but it only made things worse. His arms hung limply at his side, the same arms that used to hold her late at night, keeping her safe. Elena took his hand in hers the same way she did when Damon saved her from the hunter's curse. That was a time when Elena was still coming to terms with her feelings for Damon.

"Please, please," Elena whispered shakily between tears. She pressed her wet lips to his temple, "Don't leave me."

Out of the corner of her eye, Elena could see Damon's bloody heart lying next to them on the empty highway. Any second now, her friends would be catching up to them, but she was too lost in her grief to actually care. Instead, she pressed one final kiss to Damon's once-soft, lively lips and let the sobs take over her body.


	33. The Body

The first sensation that broke into Elena's state of grief was the feeling of strong hands groping her back and pulling her away from Damon's dead body. It was Jeremy. All of her friends had arrived at the scene.

"No! NO!" Elena shouted at Jeremy, trying to yank away and back down to Damon, but Jeremy's arms were secure and he had her in a good hold. He pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in a hug.

Elena instantly wrapped her arms around Jeremy's waist, letting him comfort her. Although the pain in her chest was too prominent that not even the warmest embrace could fully comfort her.

"Come on, Elena," Jeremy whispered into her hair, "Let's get you home."

"No!" Elena insisted, trying (and failing) once again to pull from Jeremy, "I won't leave him here!"

"We'll get the body, you get her out of here," Stefan's voice rang over Elena's ears. Elena heard the sadness in his voice and she peeked at him from over the shoulder of Jeremy. Stefan was standing over Damon's body, his eyes switching between Damon and Elena with tears glinting in the bottom of his green irises. He was obviously trying to keep himself together. Immediately, Elena felt overrun with guilt from her selfish grief—she didn't only lose her true love, Stefan also lost a brother.

"Stefan," Elena choked out. Stefan turned his gaze from his brother's limp body back to Elena. "I'm sorry." Elena slowly stepped out of Jeremy's arms and began walking towards Stefan. "I tried—I just—Klaus was too strong. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Elena broke out into more tears. Stefan furrowed his brow sympathetically at her. Instantly, it seemed like all the tension between them disappeared—they had found a common state of grief. Stefan closed the gap between them and pulled her into his arms.

"This is not your fault. Okay? Nothing you could've done would've stopped this," Stefan insisted. Elena tightened her grip on him. She was shaking with violent sobs that never seemed to stop.

"I can't believe he's actually gone." Elena said, her words breaking with each sob.

"Shh," Stefan whispered, stroking her hair, "That's not always the case."

Elena perked up at his words and pulled back from him to look him full-on. There was something new ignited within her that temporarily overtook her grief—hope. Elena's head turned to the one person that she placed all her faith in at the moment.

"Bonnie, can you fix this?" Elena eagerly asked.

Bonnie was staring at Damon's body with her mouth agape. She hesitantly turned her gaze up to Elena.

"I'll look into it," Bonnie said sympathetically.

Elena nodded before shifting her gaze back down to Damon. The image of him lying on his back with veins consuming his pale skin and a completely absent stare reignited the pain within Elena. She sunk to her knees and gently stroked a piece of his raven black hair out of his eyes. She felt the tears building up at the bottom of her eyes again, so she quickly looked away. Jeremy noticed the action and stepped forward. He pulled her up by the elbows.

"Let's get you home," Jeremy suggested, "Rest up and we'll figure this out in the morning."

"No, not home," Elena requested.

"Do you want to go to the boarding house instead?" Jeremy hesitantly asked. He wasn't sure why she would prefer the boarding house over her own house.

"No," Elena insisted. She blinked and tears rolled down her cheeks. Elena sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "Too many memories."

Elena had suffered so many deaths in her life; she knew how one of the worst parts of grieving was being constantly reminded of the dead person's existence.

"You can go to my house." Bonnie suggested understandingly, "I never even invited Damon inside. There'll be no memories there."

Elena nodded at Bonnie.

"Thanks," Elena responded softly. She felt the tears brimming again, so she let herself be led to the car by Jeremy.

As the car began to roll away, Elena snuck one more glance as her dead boyfriend, lying pale and limp on the asphalt; the tears began falling again.

* * *

By the time Jeremy pulled into the driveway of Bonnie's house, Elena had stopped crying and was staring numbly out the window.

"We're here," Jeremy eventually broke the silence. Elena turned her head to Jeremy and nodded in recognition, but made no movement to leave the car. She turned her head back to stare out the window. Jeremy watched his sister concernedly. "How are you doing?"

"It's weird to think that I've only known Damon for two years." Elena responded, ignoring Jeremy's question. Jeremy exhaled, knowing that he was not likely to get Elena to talk about her feelings. Instead, he followed the trail of conversation that she had set up.

"Did you actually meet him first?" Jeremy asked. Elena nodded.

"He compelled me to forget," Elena explained. Jeremy already knew this from the little walk that he took through Damon's brain while they were all linked, but he just let Elena talk. "He didn't want Stefan knowing he was in town yet."

"Do you think it would have gone differently if he didn't compel you?"

Elena sat in silence for a moment, trying to think through Jeremy's question. Eventually, she came to a decision.

"No." Elena looked at Jeremy who was calmly waiting for her to explain, "The only reason I didn't fall for Damon two years ago was because we weren't compatible yet. That wouldn't have changed if I remembered meeting him. He was still hung up on Katherine and I was soo naïve. That…changed."

"For the better?"

"Yes." Elena instantly responded. Elena opened the door and exited the car, deciding that she was done with the conversation. Jeremy got out and followed her into Bonnie's house. Elena went straight to the couch and stared absently at the ceiling. Jeremy, unlike Elena, wanted to continue the conversation.

"When did you fall for him?" Jeremy asked, sitting next to Elena on the couch. Elena sighed buried her face into a throw pillow. She felt tears welling up again; she hoped the pressure of the pillow would hold them back.

"A long time ago," Elena choked out. She really didn't want to have this conversation at the moment. All she wanted to do was keep to herself and think about Damon, and more importantly, ways to bring Damon back. Jeremy picked up on Elena's dislike of the conversation and quickly stopped talking.

Silence consumed the room and Elena's senses, allowing her to be alone with her thoughts. She carefully thought through ways to bring Damon back, but none of them seemed possible or logical. Eventually, she quit and let herself stew in her grief by being overwhelmed with nostalgia.

She thought of Damon's flirtatious smile and eyes. She thought of the warmth of his hard, yet comforting body. She thought of the small smile Damon would get when he was being smug.

When Elena would think of these things before Damon's death, she would feel invincible and warm, like she was wrapped in a blanket of clouds, but now, these thoughts were like the plague—painful and unescapable.

Eventually, Jeremy's voice pulled her from her nostalgia.

"Elena," Jeremy said softly and with hints of shock, "He's here."

Elena popped up from the couch at Jeremy's words and her eyes wandered the room, searching for Damon. She didn't know what she was expecting—she knew that Damon was a ghost that only Jeremy could see and hear, yet she still searched.

"Damon?" Elena whispered.

"He's right there," Jeremy pointed to a chair right next to the side of the couch that Elena was sitting on. Elena's eyes darted to the chair.

"Is he okay?" Elena asked, turning her attention back to Jeremy who was watching the chair. After a moment, Jeremy translated.

"He says he's fine. He misses you," Jeremy said. A tear ran down Elena's cheek and she brushed it away.

"I miss you too," Elena said to the emptiness where Damon supposedly sat.

"He says 'who doesn't?'" Jeremy scoffed, Elena smiled for the first time in what felt like forever, "Still an arrogant prick, I see." Jeremy paused, listening to Damon, "Well, I hoped that maybe death saved you from your ego." Jeremy waited for a moment, and then laughed at something Damon said. "He also requests that we don't let Stefan get a hold of his Camaro."

Elena genuinely laughed.

"I think we can handle that," She smiled. Just knowing that Damon was there and talking to her was enough to temporarily dry her tears, but it still wasn't as satisfying as being fully with him.

"He says he loves you, and not to worry because he's not alone. He's got Alaric. But he says that it doesn't compare to having you because with you—," Jeremy paused, "Dude, I'm not saying that." Jeremy directed his conversation specifically to Damon, "Because she's my sister. And that's weird." Jeremy paused, "No. I refuse to be your cross-plain sexting messenger with Elena."

Elena smiled at Jeremy's words and instantly caught onto what Damon was trying to do.

"Yeah, maybe not, Damon, we've already scarred him enough for a life time," Elena defended, looking back to Damon's chair.

"He says that he guesses he can wait until he gets back." Jeremy said. Elena's eyes widened at Damon's diction.

"You mean—?"

"He thinks he found a way home." Jeremy interrupted.

**A/N: Please review!**


	34. The Spell

"How?!" Elena perked up, hope burning through her veins.

"Apparently, there's a witch on the other side that is willing to help Damon," Jeremy said, turning his gaze from the chair to Elena.

"Really?" Elena asked, genuinely a little surprised.

"He says you don't have to sound so shocked," Jeremy translated, shrugging at Elena in subtle agreement with Damon.

"Sorry, you just don't have the best reputation with witches," Elena defended.

Jeremy watched the chair intently, listening to Damon, "He doesn't, but you do. It's Bonnie's gram's."

"Bonnie's gram's." Elena repeated, letting the words settle over her. She was still coming to terms with her luck. Not many people ever get to the chance to regain the person that they had lost. Eventually, she got over the shock and was ready for action, "How do we do it?"

"There's a spell that Bonnie's gram's is trying to find right now that creates a temporary tear in the veil between the Other Side and here. After that, it's a push-pull kind of thing. Bonnie will pull Damon from this plain and Bonnie's gram's will push him from her side. He should just be able to slide on through." Jeremy explained to Elena what Damon explained to him.

Elena nodded in comprehension. She turned her head to the chair, subconsciously expecting to see Damon's electric cobalt eyes flirtatiously watching her the way that they have been for two years, but when she only saw emptiness, Elena felt a stab of pain reach her heart. She quickly detracted her eyes from the chair, obviously upset.

"Just because you can't see him doesn't mean that he's not here," Jeremy said, noticing Elena's subtle change in emotions. Elena made eye-contact with Jeremy and shook her head in disagreement. Her body language made it seem like she was fine, but the hurt of Damon's loss was still apparent in her eyes.

"It's not the same, Jer," Elena explained.

Suddenly, she felt a sudden breeze rush over her body. Elena looked at the chair where Damon supposedly sat and Jeremy followed her eye line.

"He's not there anymore, he's here," Jeremy clarified, pointing at the spot right next to Elena on the couch. Elena quickly whipped her head around to where he was pointing—she knew that it sounded crazy, but she could swear that she felt Damon's movement.

Just then, she felt the light pressure of what-seemed-like a hand caressing her cheek. It was almost unnoticeable, like a small tickle. But that didn't matter, Elena knew that touch: it was Damon. Elena shut her eyes tightly. A tear escaped the corner of her eye and trickled down her cheek, shimmering like a single crystal in the light.

Jeremy watched the scene unfold. It was apparent to even the most ignorant of people that Damon and Elena loved each other deeply and unconditionally. No matter how much Jeremy disapproved of Damon as a person, he saw how Damon made Elena happy, and how Elena was genuinely depressed without Damon; Jeremy couldn't bring himself to protest something that Elena obviously needed—Damon.

"When can we do the spell?" Elena suddenly asked, desperation reignited in her by Damon's ghostly touch.

"As soon as Bonnie's gram's gets the spell," Jeremy responded, "Damon will come back when they're ready. He says that all you have to do is think about him. Can you do that?"

Elena chuckled at the question.

"The question should be can I_ stop_ thinking about him?"

Jeremy's lips twitched up into a small smile at her response.

"Okay," Jeremy said, "Damon says that it could take a while. He'll be back in the morning with an update."

Elena felt a cold emptiness reclaim her senses and she instantly knew that Damon had left. She slowly lowered herself back down to the couch and curled up with a throw pillow under her head. Jeremy brought a blanket over to her and covered her in it, tucking the corners under her body comfortingly. Elena smiled up at him in thanks, but the smile was empty. She wasn't able to put any substance in a smile while the void in her heart was so dominate.

That night Elena dreamt that she was reunited with Damon. He came to her while she was sleeping, waking her softly with a tender kiss on her temple. When she opened her eyes in the dream, she was relieved and breathless as she stared up into his electric blue eyes. But, Elena wasn't as lucky when she woke in actuality.

The first thing that hit Elena was an overwhelming amount of sorrow, but after a moment, Elena began to feel something else. It was almost as though she took caffeine pills because adrenaline now pumped through her body, kindling the flame that had Damon lit inside her. She had only felt that way when she was around one person.

Elena always thought it was impossible to feel a dead person's presence, but with Damon, the impossible became possible.

"Jeremy!" Elena called-out. She heard a fumbling upstairs and then the light pitter-patter of footsteps running down the stairs. Jeremy rushed into the living room with worry in his eyes, but as he took in the scene around him, the worry disappeared.

"Did you get the spell?" Jeremy directed his attention to the fireplace. He paused, waiting for a response, "Great."

"He got it?" Elena asked excitedly. Jeremy nodded in response.

"Bonnie's upstairs now in the shower. Once she gets out, we can start."

* * *

Elena decided to call Stefan and have him come to the house, figuring that he'd want to be present for his brother's return to the land of the living. Stefan came unbelievably quickly, obviously eager to get his older brother back.

"Do you think this will work?" Stefan quietly asked Elena who was watching Bonnie set up a little place for her to perform the spell.

"It better," Elena responded; she looked up at Stefan, "Because if it doesn't, we have no more options."

Stefan nodded in comprehension, his eyes displaying signs of concern. Elena could tell that Stefan didn't have complete faith in the plan, but Elena didn't have the luxury to doubt. If she started doubting, she feared that she would break. The only thing that was keeping Elena together was her hope and faith in Bonnie.

"Ready," Bonnie informed the viewers; she made eye-contact with Elena who nodded, giving Bonnie wordless permission to begin the spell. Bonnie nodded back before sitting down on the ground in a small circle of candles. She began the spell.

Bonnie easily got through the first part of the spell, her voice strong and commanding. But, as the spell dragged on, Bonnie was having more and more trouble. Her nose began to bleed as the pressure created by the extensive amount of power weighed down on her body. Yet, she did not falter. She pushed through to the next part of the spell, gritting her teeth to hold back the pain.

Elena watched as her friend struggled and she began to feel anxiety, both for Bonnie's well-being and for Damon's return.

"We've created the tear," Bonnie updated everyone, her voice strained.

She began the next part of the spell—pulling Damon as her gram's pushed him. Bonnie's voice shook with each word, but she kept going, determined to bring Damon back to Elena.

Eventually, Bonnie's voice broke and her head fell to her knees. She was breathing heavily and the candles all flickered out, severing the link. Jeremy rushed over to Bonnie's side and placed his hands tenderly on her shoulders.

"Bonnie?!" Jeremy asked with a fear-filled voice, "Bonnie?!" He repeated.

Bonnie slowly raised her head, but instead of looking at Jeremy, she looked directly at Elena. Her eyes were filled with regret and instantly, Elena's heart sank.

"Di—Did you—?" Elena began, struggling with the words.

"We finished the spell. It should've worked," Bonnie paused, looking around at the faces of Stefan, Elena, and Jeremy, "He should be here."

Elena swallowed, attempting to moisten her dry mouth. She struggled to hold back the tears that began to form again. Elena looked around the room, searching for someone she knew wasn't there.

"Then, where is he?" Elena asked.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update! Please review! **


	35. Survive

"Where is he?!" Elena asked again, this time more demanding. She looked at the faces of all her friends, as though they could give her all the answers. They merely shrugged in response. Elena turned to Jeremy, "Can you see him?"

"No," Jeremy responded, "I saw him before the spell, but now, I have no idea where he is."

Elena heartbeat and breathing picked up.

_What if something went wrong? Terribly wrong? What if we just damned Damon to an eternity in God-knows-where? _Elena thought in panic.

Stefan could hear her heartbeat and breathing spike, and was quick in his attempts to calm her down.

"Elena, he'll be okay," Stefan said reassuringly, drawing Elena's attention to him.

"How do you know that, Stefan?" Elena paused, "You don't."

"I do," Stefan argued, taking a step closer to her, "Damon is a survivor. He's a fighter. He'll always fight for what he wants. You, of all people, should know that."

Stefan's words silenced Elena. She knew all too well how Damon was relentless in the pursuit of his desires. If Damon wanted something bad enough, he would either get it or die trying. Elena prayed that it wasn't the latter.

Elena remembered back to her conversation with Damon before they tried to flee Mystic Falls, merely hours before Damon died.

_"What are we going to do?" _She had asked him.

_"Survive, like always." _Elena didn't realize until now the irony of that statement. Damon seemed so confident that they would survive, but he ended up dying.

Elena's gaze switched to Bonnie.

"What went wrong?"

"I don't know. Nothing, I thought." Bonnie paused, meeting Elena's eyes with her own. Bonnie's eyes were filled with sympathy, and worst of all, defeat, "I'm so sorry, Elena."

Elena began to feel her hard exterior breaking down at the apparent lack of faith that her best friend possessed. She couldn't…no, she _wouldn't_ believe that Damon was actually gone.

_He always makes it back to me_. Elena thought, but there was still a part of her that didn't believe her own mantra.

"Maybe he just came out somewhere else? Is that possible?" Elena asked. Bonnie drew her lips into a tight line at Elena's blatant state of denial.

"No," Bonnie said, single-handedly crushing Elena's theory, "The spell is set up so he would've appeared right there." Bonnie pointed in a small circle of salt that was directly in front of her.

Elena furrowed her brow in contemplation, determined to find an explanation.

"Where's his body?" Elena's voice cracked on the last word. It was hard for her to refer to Damon as merely a 'body;' he was so much more than that.

"At our house," Stefan answered, "Why?"

"What if he returned to his body?" Elena turned to Bonnie with eager eyes, seeking validation. Unfortunately, she was only met with Bonnie shaking her head 'no.'

Immediately, the hope in Elena's eyes died.

"The body he possessed on the Other Side was supposed to materialize. Damon was supposed to return here in a new, but ultimately same body. His dead body would've just disappeared." Bonnie explained.

"Well, if he's not here and he's not there, where is he?!" Elena felt anger resurfacing. She was angry because she had no answers and she had no Damon.

"Elena," Stefan took a step closer to her and Elena quickly threw up her hands to create a barrier between him and her. She stepped back in protest.

Stefan knew exactly what Elena was doing; he'd seen her do it many times before. She was focusing all her pain into one emotion—rage. He also knew what was coming next, she was about to completely break down.

"Whe—where is he, Stefan?!" Elena's voice broke as the tears began to resurface.

"Come here," Stefan said, grabbing Elena's hand and pulling her into a hug. The sudden gesture pushed Elena over the edge; hot tears began streaming down her face as she sunk to her knees, defeated. Stefan moved with her, never letting her go.

"H—he's not gone." Elena attempted to convince herself as sobs shook her body.

"Shhh," Stefan whispered, trying to calm her, but his attempts were futile. "You have to let him go, Elena. He's gone." Stefan's voice was laced with sadness at the acceptance of the loss of his brother. He didn't used to accept it, but Bonnie's logical explanations convinced Stefan of his worst nightmare, "He would want you to move on, Elena."

That sentence made Elena laugh, but her laugh was not happy; it was a hysterical laugh that fell in perfect rhythm with her sobs.

"You and I both know that's not true," Elena said, looking up at Stefan. The white of her eyes were red from tears. "He would want me to keep fighting for him until my last breath. Just like how I would want him to do the same for me. Because we're both that selfish."

Elena used to only call Damon selfish, but she had slowly come to realize that she was also selfish when it came to protecting and loving Damon.

"That may be true," Stefan responded, tenderly brushing a tear off of Elena's cheek.

Elena pulled away from his touch. She felt a little guilty about her subtle rejection of his affections, but at the same time, she felt wrong being touched by him like that, especially considering the circumstances. Stefan read her rejection and lowered his hand, finally coming to terms with the fact that she would never be his again.

"But, Damon would want you to survive." Stefan whispered.

_There's that damn word again! _Elena thought angrily. _Survive. _She hated the fact that she was even put in a position where she would have to 'survive' without Damon. She hated that her life was about surviving; she wanted it to be about thriving. Elena genuinely believed Damon was her key to a thriving life.

Elena stood up suddenly, taking a few quick strides to the window. She stared out at the landscape, letting the sunrays soak into her skin. She stood there, crying mindlessly. Crying was starting to feel as natural as breathing to Elena.

She closed her eyes, gripping the windowsill painfully hard as memories of her previous lover consumed her mind. She thought back to the beginning.

_"You're the liar, Elena. There is something going on between the two of us and you know it. And you're lying to me. And you're lying to Stefan. And most of all, you're lying to yourself."_ Damon had said that to Elena way before she even fathomed falling in love with him. He was so right, even back then. She had spent so much time lying to herself about her feelings towards Damon and now that she didn't have him, she wished she could reverse the clock and spend that time wasted actually being with him.

_"I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die…it's okay. 'Cause if I'd have chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you." _Elena pressed her eyelids even tighter together at the pain produced by this particular memory, causing for tears to stream faster down her cheeks. Damon had admitted this to her when he was dying of Tyler's werewolf bite. She wondered if Damon would've told her the same thing yesterday when he had his heart ripped out by Klaus. He never had a chance to say any parting words to her.

Just then, Elena felt something that made her jump, drawing everyone's attention to her. Elena turned her eyes up to her hand that was clenched tightly around the windowsill.

"No, no way," Elena whispered, mouth agape.

"What is it, Elena?" Jeremy demanded, standing up to get a better view of his sister.

"I—," Elena paused, "I feel that." Elena slowly picked her hand up from the windowsill and turned it around, as though she were caressing the air. Everyone stood on standby, watching in confusion. Eventually, Elena clasped her hand, making it look like her fingers were entwined with the air's.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

"It's Damon," Elena responded, and she couldn't help but let out a single laugh of joy. Elena pressed her other hand forward until her palm hit what-must-have-been Damon's chest. "It's Damon, I know it is!"

"Elena, it can't be…he's—," Stefan began.

"Actually, she's right," Bonnie interrupted Stefan and stood up. "I should've picked up on this earlier." Bonnie walked over and stood behind Elena, "The link must've severed too soon. Damon must have been caught in between the Other Side and here," Bonnie explained. She directed her next words specifically to Elena, "He's needs something, or rather someone, to hold onto in this plain. Someone he has a connection with. That's you, Elena. You can bring him back."

Elena didn't need to hear it twice. Even though she couldn't see Damon, she knew him. She knew every crevice, every outline, every muscle of his body. Elena grabbed the fabric of his shirt and pulled him towards her. She felt his body suddenly braced against hers. Elena snuck her hands up his torso until she could rest them on either side of his neck.

She didn't hesitate. She was overwhelmed with eagerness. Elena stood on her tippy-toes and simultaneously pulled Damon down to her lips. She closed her eyes to let the sensation of his love fully embrace her.

The world seemed to slow as she felt his warm lips cushion hers, fitting perfectly like puzzle pieces. She could feel Damon's hands sneak around her waist and pull her demandingly closer. He was obviously also very eager. Elena really missed this. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but the purpose behind the tears was no longer in mourning, but rather in joy and love.

Slowly, Elena broke from his lips. She rested her forehead against his, breathing heavily.

Elena was hesitant to open her eyes because she wasn't sure what she would find, but she knew that she had to. She inhaled deeply and her eyelids fluttered open.

The first thing she saw was the electric cobalt that only belonged to one person.

Elena felt her heart fly to her throat and she smiled widely. She didn't know what to do or say, she was so overwhelmed with emotions that even breathing seemed close to impossible. Eventually, she strung together one sentence:

"You came back to me."

Elena withdrew her forehead to look Damon full-on. He was just as beautiful as she remembered—raven black hair, electric blue eyes, and that flirtatious smile—_God, that smile! _Elena thought. She had really missed that smile.

"Always," Damon responded, brushing a tear off of her cheek the same way that Stefan did earlier, but his touch felt right against Elena's cheek.

A small smile twitched onto Elena's lips. Damon mirrored her smile.

"Damon," Stefan stepped forward and clapped Damon on the back, "It's good to see you."

"It's good to be seen, baby brother," Damon responded, clapping Stefan on the back as well.

A smile seemed to be permanently plastered on Damon's cheeks. He was happier than he'd ever been in his 172 years of living. He was returning to the life that he had always dreamt of having—the girl of his dreams was helplessly in love with him, he was on good terms with his only remaining family, and he had a foundation of support.

Damon turned back to Elena and framed her face with his hands. Elena immediately responded by resting her hands on his abs. She smiled up at him. Damon watched her silently with utmost adoration. Eventually, he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her swollen lips. They stood, kissing with unmoving lips for a while, enjoying the sensation of each other.

Elena felt her stomach twist. She felt heat flood her skin. She felt her body shake with electricity, all due to the feeling of Damon's lips.

Damon broke from her lips and traced the outline of her body with light, tickling fingertips. Elena stood frozen, consumed with sudden lust.

Damon picked up on the way he was heating her up and leaned down until his lips were hovering directly above Elena's ear. His breath tickled her neck and his fingers danced gracefully over the bare skin of her arm, sending electric currents to her spine.

"There's one thing that I really missed while I was over there," Damon whispered, making Elena squirm with desire.

"Yeah? What's that?" Elena whispered back, her voice deceiving her. Damon chuckled in her ear. He placed his hand in Elena's back pocket teasingly.

"This," Damon dropped his lips to the curve of her neck and started sucking on her skin. Elena's mouth dropped at the sudden sensation and a smile of pleasure and want graced her lips.

Jeremy, Bonnie, and Stefan watched the scene, awkwardly shuffling on the balls of their feet.

"So, we'll just leave you to it, then," Jeremy eventually said, clearing his throat and practically running out of the room, traumatized. Stefan and Bonnie followed, almost as quickly.

Elena smiled wider as Damon placed another long kiss on her clavicle, too consumed in him to even think about her friends' exits.

And in that moment, Elena Gilbert knew that nothing in her entire existence would ever compare to being in love with Damon Salvatore.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that was the final installment. I originally planned on ending it at Damon's death, but then I figured everyone suffered too much loss with the season 5 finale. If you enjoyed this story, check out my other work: "Dear Diary" "She's Got Him" and "Feeling Territorial?" Thanks for reading and please review! **


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